Budget Primer Section 7: Rhode Island Capital Plan Funds On November 7, 2006, Rhode Island voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting state expenditures commencing in FY 2008 such that appropriations do not result in general fund expenditures exceeding 98.0 percent of general fund revenues in FY 2008, and 97.0 percent in FY 2012 and thereafter. This amendment to the Rhode Island Constitution also restricted, as of July 1, 2007, the use of excess funds in the Rhode Island Capital Fund solely for capital projects. Previously, the fund could be used for debt reduction, payment of debt service, and capital projects. Also, the constitutional amendment increased the budget reserve account by limiting annual appropriations to ninety-seven (97%) percent of estimated revenues and increasing the cap on the budget reserve account to five (5%) percent of estimated revenues. During the 2007 Session of the General Assembly, a statutory schedule was enacted to provide for incremental decreases of 0.2 percent to gradually move spending from 98 percent of revenues to 97 percent of revenues. Additionally, the budget reserve account maximum balance would be gradually increased by increments of 0.4 percent to gradually move from 3.0 percent to 5.0 percent of resources. In FY 2013, the spending is limited to 97.0 percent of revenues and the budget reserve fund is capped at 5.0 percent of resources. Additionally, during the 2007 Session of the General Assembly, a law was enacted which requires that revenues received in excess of the amount estimated in the enacted budget, net of reserve fund contributions, would be transferred to the State Retirement Fund upon completion of the post audit. NASBO.org The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) Series 1: The State Budgeting Process Visit NASBO.org Related Links Prior Year Budgets Revenues