82R4542 KLA-D
By: Watson S.B. No. 704
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to interim budget reduction requests.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 322.022 to read as follows:
Sec. 322.022. PUBLIC HEARING ON INTERIM BUDGET REDUCTION
REQUEST. (a) In this section:
(1) "Interim budget reduction request" means a request
communicated in any manner for a state agency to make adjustments to
the strategies, methods of finance, performance measures, or riders
applicable to the agency through the state budget in effect on the
date the request is communicated that, if implemented, would reduce
the agency's total expenditures for the current state fiscal
biennium to an amount less than the total amount that otherwise
would be permissible based on the appropriations made to the agency
in the budget.
(2) "State agency" means an office, department, board,
commission, institution, or other entity to which a legislative
appropriation is made.
(b) A state agency shall provide to the board a detailed
report of any expenditure reduction plan that:
(1) the agency develops in response to an interim
budget reduction request made by the governor, the lieutenant
governor, or a member of the legislature, or any combination of
those persons; and
(2) if implemented, would reduce the agency's total
expenditures for the current state fiscal biennium to an amount
less than the total amount that otherwise would be permissible
based on the appropriations made to the agency in the state budget
for the biennium.
(c) The board shall hold a public hearing to solicit
testimony on an expenditure reduction plan a state agency reports
to the board as required by Subsection (b) as soon as practicable
after receiving the report. The agency may not implement any
element of the plan until the conclusion of the hearing.
(d) This section does not apply to an expenditure reduction
a state agency desires to make that does not directly or indirectly
result from an interim budget reduction request made by the
governor, the lieutenant governor, or a member of the legislature,
or any combination of those persons.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.