Being a creature of the states and by extension, the people, the Federal government may not require the expenditure of any funds by any state, sub-entity of a state, person, or corporation at any time or for any purpose except that it provide the funds for expenditure.
This would completely end unfunded mandates.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
I am certainly a lover of ending unfunded mandates. So I am in total agreement with your goal.
However, I don’t believe the Constitution permits the Federal Government to _require_ State governments to make expenditures of any sort. For a long time States have been cooperative with the Fed Gov because they are addicted to Federal funding.
So essentially, States are trapped in that if they do not make certain expenditures, they will be cut off from Federal funding.