(A) The Board of Economic Advisors shall make an initial forecast of economic conditions in the State and state revenues for the next fiscal year no later than November tenth of each year. Adjustments to the forecast must be considered on December tenth and February fifteenth. A final forecast for the next fiscal year must be made on April tenth. However, before June thirtieth, the board may reduce forecasts for the next fiscal year as it considers necessary. Before making or adjusting any forecast, the board must consult with outside economic experts with respect to national and South Carolina economic business conditions. All forecasts and adjusted forecasts must contain:

(1) a brief description of the economic model and all assumptions and basic decisions underlying the forecasts;

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 11-9-1130

  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.

(2) a projection of state revenues on a quarterly basis;

(3) separate discussions of any industry which employs more than twenty percent of the state’s total nonagricultural employment and separate projections for these industries.

(B) In addition to fulfilling its economic and revenue forecasting responsibilities for future fiscal years, the board at each session shall monitor and review the flow of revenue for the current fiscal year in comparison to current year revenue estimates. If actual revenue collections represent an overall shortfall for any quarter of over one and one-half percent of projected revenue collections for that quarter, a synopsis must be prepared which shall include a detailed analysis of the factors contributing to the shortfall, the impact of the shortfall for the present fiscal year, a projection of whether the shortfall will be compensated for in the remaining quarters of the present fiscal year, and the impact of the shortfall on revenue estimates for the ensuing fiscal year. In addition, a similar detailed synopsis must be provided if a shortfall of one and one-half percent or more is experienced in any of the following individual revenue categories: sales and use taxes, individual income taxes, corporate income taxes, taxes on insurance premiums including workers’ compensation insurance, and earnings on investments.

(C) All forecasts, adjusted forecasts, and reports of the Board of Economic Advisors, including the synopsis of the current year’s review as required by subsection (B), must be published and reported to the Governor, the members of the General Assembly, and made available to the news media.