CT · constitutions
Conn. Const. art. III, § 18
Limit on state expenditures. Maximum authorized increase; “emergency or extraordinary circumstances”; definitions to be defined by general assembly. Surplus
(a) The amount of general budget expenditures authorized for any fiscal year shall not exceed the estimated amount of revenue for such fiscal year.
(b) The general assembly shall not authorize an increase in general budget expenditures for any fiscal year above the amount of general budget expenditures authorized for the previous fiscal year by a percentage which exceeds the greater of the percentage increase in personal income or the percentage increase in inflation, unless the governor declares an emergency or the existence of extraordinary circumstances and at least three-fifths of the members of each house of the general assembly vote to exceed such limit for the purposes of such emergency or extraordinary circumstances. The general assembly shall by law define “increase in personal income”, “increase in inflation” and “general budget expenditures” for the purposes of this section and may amend such definitions, from time to time, provided general budget expenditures shall not include expenditures for the payment of bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness. The enactment or amendment of such definitions shall require the vote of three-fifths of the members of each house of the general assembly.
(c) Any unappropriated surplus shall be used to fund a budget reserve fund or for the reduction of bonded indebtedness; or for any other purpose authorized by at least three-fifths of the members of each house of the general assembly.
History
Historical Note: This section, as printed here, was added by Article XXVIII., of the Amendments to the Constitution of the State of Connecticut. Said Article XXVIII., was adopted on November 25, 1992, and limited state expenditures in any fiscal year and designated purposes for which unappropriated surpluses may be used.
Provenance
- Source
- cga.ct.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-25
- Edition
- 2026-09-25
- Content hash
3096420b8d040c432b5fd53d9fdbf82b07af5aacba0a4aa2fe9cf83b39cc0203
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