Bill Text: TX SB53 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-04 - Referred to Appropriations [SB53 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB53-Engrossed.html
By: Nelson, et al. | S.B. No. 53 |
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relating to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and | ||
programs. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Section 322.0175 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 322.0175. STRATEGIC FISCAL REVIEW OF STATE AGENCIES | ||
AND PROGRAMS. (a) The board shall perform a strategic fiscal | ||
review for all state agencies currently the subject of Sunset | ||
Advisory Commission review under Chapter 325, Government Code. | ||
(b) The board shall prepare and submit a report of the | ||
findings of the strategic fiscal review by September 1 of | ||
even-numbered years to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker | ||
of the house, Senate Finance Committee, and House Appropriations | ||
Committee. | ||
(c) The strategic fiscal review report will contain: | ||
(1) a description of the discrete activities the state | ||
agency is charged with conducting or performing together with: | ||
(A) a justification for each activity by | ||
reference to a statute or other legal authority; and | ||
(B) an evaluation of the effectiveness and | ||
efficiency of the state agency's policies, management, fiscal | ||
affairs, and operations in relation to each activity; | ||
(2) for each activity identified under Subdivision | ||
(1), a quantitative estimate of any adverse effects that reasonably | ||
may be expected to result if the activity were discontinued, | ||
together with a description of the methods by which the adverse | ||
effects were estimated; | ||
(3) for each activity identified under Subdivision | ||
(1), an itemized account of expenditures required to maintain the | ||
activity at the minimum level of service or performance required by | ||
the statute or other legal authority, together with a concise | ||
statement of the quantity and quality of service or performance | ||
required at that minimum level; | ||
(4) for each activity identified under Subdivision | ||
(1), an itemized account of expenditures required to maintain the | ||
activity at the current level of service or performance, together | ||
with a concise statement of the quantity and quality of service or | ||
performance provided at that current level; | ||
(5) a ranking of activities identified under | ||
Subdivision (1) that illustrates the relative importance of each | ||
activity to the overall goals and purposes of the state agency at | ||
current service or performance levels; and | ||
(6) recommendations to the legislature regarding | ||
whether the legislature should continue funding each activity | ||
identified under Subdivision (1) and, if so, at what level. | ||
(d) The legislature may consider the strategic fiscal | ||
review reports in connection with the legislative appropriations | ||
process. | ||
(e) Until the board has completed a strategic fiscal review | ||
under this section, all information, documentary or otherwise, | ||
prepared or maintained in conducting the strategic fiscal review or | ||
preparing the strategic fiscal review report, including | ||
intra-agency and interagency communications and drafts of the | ||
strategic fiscal review report, or portions of those drafts, is | ||
excepted from required public disclosure as audit working papers | ||
under Section 552.116. This subsection does not affect whether | ||
information described by this subsection is confidential or | ||
excepted from required public disclosure under a law other than | ||
Section 552.116. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |