· Bill / Restructuring of governance · enacted
Bill 39 Amends Surplus Cash Allocation Authority (Sustainable Fiscal Planning and Reporting Act)
Bill 39 transfers authority for allocating surplus cash from the General Revenue Fund from the responsible Minister to the Treasury Board and establishes fixed allocation percentages.
What changed
- Authority for allocating surplus cash from the General Revenue Fund is transferred from the responsible Minister to the Treasury Board.
- The allocation method is changed to a fixed 50% to debt/Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund and 50% to the Alberta Fund, replacing the previous, less prescriptive allocation to debt.
Why it matters
- Centralizes fiscal allocation decisions within the Treasury Board, a collective body, rather than a single Minister.
- Reduces ministerial discretion in how surplus funds are allocated by setting specific percentages for key provincial funds.
Other governance concerns
- Changes to fiscal governance
- Reduced individual ministerial discretion
Primary sources (1)
- Primary sourceGovernment documentBill 39 – Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Alberta Legislative Assembly)