(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.
(2) “Account” means the Revenue Stabilization Account.
(3) “Estimated General Fund revenues” means the estimated General Fund revenues for a fiscal year stated in the report of the Board of Revenue Estimates submitted to the Governor under § 6–106 of this article in December preceding the fiscal year.
(4) “Unappropriated General Fund surplus” does not include the amount of nonwithholding income tax revenues that exceed the capped estimate determined under § 6–104(e) of this article.
(b) (1) The Revenue Stabilization Account is established to retain State revenues for future needs and reduce the need for future tax increases by moderating revenue growth.
(2) It is the goal of the State that 10% of estimated General Fund revenues in each fiscal year be retained in the Account.
(c) The Account is a continuing, nonlapsing fund which is not subject to § 7–302 of this subtitle.
(d) The Account consists of:
(1) money appropriated in the State budget to the Account;
(2) money distributed to the Account by the State Comptroller as provided in § 7–329 of this subtitle; and
(3) interest or other income earned from the investment of any portion of this Account or any other account in the State Reserve Fund.
(e) (1) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, for each fiscal year:
(i) if the Account balance is below 3% of the estimated General Fund revenues for that fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the budget bill an appropriation to the Account equal to at least $100,000,000; and
(ii) if the Account balance is at least 3% but less than 7.5% of the estimated General Fund revenues for that fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the budget bill an appropriation to the Account equal to at least the lesser of $50,000,000 or whatever amount is required for the Account balance to exceed 7.5% of the estimated General Fund revenues for that fiscal year.
(2) At the end of fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter, if the amount of nonwithholding income tax revenues exceeds the capped estimate determined under § 6–104(e) of this article, the State Comptroller shall distribute funds as provided in § 7–329(c) and (d) of this subtitle.
(f) (1) The appropriations required by subsection (e)(1) of this section are not required when the Account balance exceeds 7.5% of the estimated General Fund revenues.
(2) The distributions required by subsection (e)(2) of this section are not required when the Account balance exceeds 10% of the estimated General Fund revenues for that fiscal year.
(g) (1) Unless the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% of the estimated General Fund revenues for the fiscal year in which the transfer is made, if authorized by an act of the General Assembly or specifically authorized in the State budget bill as enacted, the Governor may transfer funds from the Account to General Fund revenues as necessary to support the operation of State government on a temporary basis.
(2) If the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% of the estimated General Fund revenues for the fiscal year in which the transfer is made, the Governor may transfer funds from the Account to General Fund revenues only if the transfer is authorized by an act of the General Assembly other than the State budget bill.
(h) If the budget bill as submitted to the General Assembly includes a transfer of funds from the Account pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, the budget bill as enacted by the General Assembly may provide for a reduction of the amount of the transfer from the Account by an amount up to the amount of the reductions made by the General Assembly in the General Fund appropriations.
(i) Funds of the Account may only be transferred from the Account as provided in this section and are not subject to transfer by budget amendment.
(j) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, for fiscal year 2007 and for each subsequent fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the budget bill an appropriation:
(i) for fiscal year 2017, to the accumulation funds of the State Retirement and Pension System an amount, up to a maximum of $50,000,000, that is equal to one–half of the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000;
(ii) for fiscal year 2020:
1. to the accumulation funds of the State Retirement and Pension System an amount, up to a maximum of $50,000,000, that is equal to one–half of the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000; and
2. to the Account equal to the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000, less the amount of the appropriation under item 1 of this item; and
(iii) for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter:
1. to the accumulation funds of the State Retirement and Pension System an amount, up to a maximum of $25,000,000, that is equal to one–quarter of the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000;
2. to the Postretirement Health Benefits Trust Fund established under § 34–101 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article an amount, up to a maximum of $25,000,000, that is equal to one–quarter of the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000; and
3. to the Account equal to the amount by which the unappropriated General Fund surplus as of June 30 of the second preceding fiscal year exceeds $10,000,000, less the amount of the appropriations under items 1 and 2 of this item.
(2) The appropriation required under this subsection for any fiscal year may be reduced by the amount of any appropriation to the Account required to be included for that fiscal year under subsection (e) of this section.