Page 1 of 2 Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 176 BY SENATORS ALARIO, ADLEY, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME, BROWN, BUFFINGTON, CHABERT, CLAI TOR, CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY, GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA, LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRELL, MORRISH , MURRAY, NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVES FANNIN AND KLECKLEY A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON To commend the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office on its fortieth anniversary. WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office was statutorily created in 1974 by Act 169 to provide service, research, and technical staff assistance concerning fiscal matters of any kind to members of the legislature and legislative committees; and WHEREAS, prior to 1974, the legislature relied on the executive branch for much of the information relating to the state budget; and WHEREAS, at that time, legislatures around the country were moving toward developing and strengthening their staff capacity by forming interstate associations promoting legislative development such as the National Conference of State Legislatures, and creation of the Legislative Fiscal Office was a direct result of that trend; and WHEREAS, the Legislative Fiscal Office operates under the general direction of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and develops and makes available to the legislature and its committees the fiscal information necessary to assist in its deliberations with the view of pointing out unnecessary programs, projects, and functions; and WHEREAS, the duties and functions of the Legislative Fiscal Office include calling attention to inefficient and uneconomical practices, as well as monitoring, reviewing, and analyzing the performance of state agencies and making recommendations for improvement; and WHEREAS, it also analyzes the annual budget prepared by the executive branch and makes recommendations to the legislature and committees, as well as provides assistance in directing the financial affairs of the state; and WHEREAS, the Legislative Fiscal Office continuously reviews existing and proposed programs and budgets of state agencies, analyzes and makes recommendations SCR NO. 176 ENROLLED Page 2 of 2 reflecting capital budget requests, and conducts continuous short and long range studies of projected revenues and expenditures; and WHEREAS, it is also charged with evaluating legislative proposals for fiscal effect and providing fiscal notes explaining the fiscal impact of those proposals, providing fiscal staff services to nonfinance legislative committees supplemental to other staff services, and participating in interagency staff activities; and WHEREAS, the Legislative Fiscal Office makes recommendations to the legislature with respect to procedures and policies to effectuate the functions of budget analysis and review, capital budget study, fiscal policy, fiscal research, departmental operation, and efficiency within state government. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend and congratulate the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office on forty years of exemplary service to the Senate, the House of Representatives, their legislative committees, and the citizenry of Louisiana. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES