Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB53 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 53
2		-	(In the Senate - Filed November 10, 2014; January 26, 2015,
3		-	read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
4		-	April 8, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 12,
5		-	Nays 0; April 8, 2015, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
7	2
8	3
9	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	5		AN ACT
11	6		relating to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and
12	7		programs.
13	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	9		SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
15	10		adding Section 322.0175 to read as follows:
16	11		Sec. 322.0175. STRATEGIC FISCAL REVIEW OF STATE AGENCIES
17	12		AND PROGRAMS. (a) The board shall perform a strategic fiscal
18	13		review for all state agencies currently the subject of Sunset
19	14		Advisory Commission review under Chapter 325, Government Code.
20	15		(b) The board shall prepare and submit a report of the
21	16		findings of the strategic fiscal review by September 1 of
22	17		even-numbered years to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker
23	18		of the house, Senate Finance Committee, and House Appropriations
24	19		Committee.
25	20		(c) The strategic fiscal review report will contain:
26	21		(1) a description of the discrete activities the state
27	22		agency is charged with conducting or performing together with:
28	23		(A) a justification for each activity by
29	24		reference to a statute or other legal authority; and
30	25		(B) an evaluation of the effectiveness and
31	26		efficiency of the state agency's policies, management, fiscal
32	27		affairs, and operations in relation to each activity;
33	28		(2) for each activity identified under Subdivision
34	29		(1), a quantitative estimate of any adverse effects that reasonably
35	30		may be expected to result if the activity were discontinued,
36	31		together with a description of the methods by which the adverse
37	32		effects were estimated;
38	33		(3) for each activity identified under Subdivision
39	34		(1), an itemized account of expenditures required to maintain the
40	35		activity at the minimum level of service or performance required by
41	36		the statute or other legal authority, together with a concise
42	37		statement of the quantity and quality of service or performance
43	38		required at that minimum level;
44	39		(4) for each activity identified under Subdivision
45	40		(1), an itemized account of expenditures required to maintain the
46	41		activity at the current level of service or performance, together
47	42		with a concise statement of the quantity and quality of service or
48	43		performance provided at that current level;
49	44		(5) a ranking of activities identified under
50	45		Subdivision (1) that illustrates the relative importance of each
51	46		activity to the overall goals and purposes of the state agency at
52	47		current service or performance levels; and
53	48		(6) recommendations to the legislature regarding
54	49		whether the legislature should continue funding each activity
55	50		identified under Subdivision (1) and, if so, at what level.
56	51		(d) The legislature may consider the strategic fiscal
57	52		review reports in connection with the legislative appropriations
58	53		process.
59	54		(e) Until the board has completed a strategic fiscal review
60	55		under this section, all information, documentary or otherwise,
61	56		prepared or maintained in conducting the strategic fiscal review or
62	57		preparing the strategic fiscal review report, including
63	58		intra-agency and interagency communications and drafts of the
64	59		strategic fiscal review report, or portions of those drafts, is
65	60		excepted from required public disclosure as audit working papers
66	61		under Section 552.116. This subsection does not affect whether
67	62		information described by this subsection is confidential or
68	63		excepted from required public disclosure under a law other than
69	64		Section 552.116.
70	65		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
71	66		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
72	67		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
73	68		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
74	69		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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