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Committee reports government growth-limit bills favorably; constitutional companion sent to voters
Summary
The committee reported House Bill 283 (statutory growth-limit) as amended and House Bill 295 (constitutional amendment) favorably; the statutory measure sets a formula limiting recurring State General Fund appropriations and the constitutional amendment would ask voters to approve that limit in November 2026.
The House Appropriations Committee on April 22 reported favorably two linked measures that would limit the growth of recurring State General Fund appropriations and, if approved by voters, lock the formula into the Louisiana Constitution.
Representative Tarver said House Bill 283 establishes a government growth limit by calculating a base (last full fiscal year’s State General Fund appropriations) and applying a growth factor that blends population change with changes in the consumer price index and medical-care inflation. "We create a government growth limit, which sets the limit in fiscal years, provides for conditions on lowering the limit and recurring revenues above the limit, how they are used, changes to the limit and exclusions from it," Tarver told the committee.
The bill also contains a statutory mechanism for using revenues that exceed the growth limit but remain under an expenditure limit only for nonrecurring expenses. Representative Tarver said he also filed House Bill 295, a constitutional amendment that would submit the limit to voters on Nov. 3, 2026. Tarver said the constitutional amendment would allow the limit to be changed later only by a two-thirds vote of the legislature through a specific instrument.
Committee members asked technical questions about the formula and whether the statutory formula matched the special-session language previously approved. Tarver said the bill replicates the special-session approach and that negative growth would not reduce the base; the base remains the prior year’s amount. A technical amendment tying the companion constitutional language to House Bill 295 was adopted without objection.
Vice Chair Amadeh moved to report House Bill 283 favorable as amended; without objection the committee reported House Bill 283 as amended favorable. Later, Vice Chair Almaden moved House Bill 295 favorable and the committee reported House Bill 295 favorable without objection. Both measures were recommended by the committee for further consideration.
