Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB68 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 68
	1	+	By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 68
	2	+	(Schaefer)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to strategic fiscal reviews of state agencies and
6	8		programs.
7	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	10		SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
9	11		adding Section 322.0175 to read as follows:
10	12		Sec. 322.0175. STRATEGIC FISCAL REVIEW OF STATE AGENCIES
11	13		AND PROGRAMS. (a) The board shall perform a strategic fiscal
12	14		review for each state agency currently the subject of Sunset
13	15		Advisory Commission review under Chapter 325 (Texas Sunset Act).
14		-	The board shall not perform a review under this section of state
15		-	agencies listed in Section 325.025(b), Government Code, because
16		-	these agencies are not subject to the legislative appropriations
17		-	process.
18	16		(b) The board shall prepare and submit a report of the
19	17		findings of the strategic fiscal review by September 1 of the
20	18		even-numbered year of the biennium during which the review is
21	19		conducted to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the
22	20		house of representatives and to the members of the senate finance
23	21		and house appropriations committees.
24	22		(c) The strategic fiscal review report must contain:
25	23		(1) a description of the discrete activities the state
26	24		agency is charged with conducting or performing together with:
27	25		(A) a justification for each activity by
28	26		reference to a statute or other legal authority; and
29	27		(B) an evaluation of the effectiveness and
30	28		efficiency of the state agency's policies, management, fiscal
31	29		affairs, and operations in relation to each activity;
32	30		(2) for each activity identified under Subdivision
33	31		(1):
34	32		(A) a quantitative estimate of any adverse
35	33		effects that reasonably may be expected to result if the activity
36	34		were discontinued, together with a description of the methods by
37	35		which the adverse effects were estimated;
38	36		(B) an itemized account of expenditures required
39	37		to maintain the activity at the minimum level of service or
40	38		performance required by the statute or other legal authority,
41	39		together with a concise statement of the quantity and quality of
42	40		service or performance required at that minimum level; and
43	41		(C) an itemized account of expenditures required
44	42		to maintain the activity at the current level of service or
45	43		performance, together with a concise statement of the quantity and
46	44		quality of service or performance provided at that current level;
47	45		(3) a ranking of activities identified under
48	46		Subdivision (1) that illustrates the relative importance of each
49	47		activity to the overall goals and purposes of the state agency at
50	48		current service or performance levels; and
51	49		(4) recommendations to the legislature regarding
52	50		whether the legislature should continue funding each activity
53	51		identified under Subdivision (1) and, if so, at what level.
54	52		(d) The legislature may consider the strategic fiscal
55	53		review reports in connection with the legislative appropriations
56	54		process.
57	55		(e) Until the board has completed a strategic fiscal review
58	56		under this section, all information, documentary or otherwise,
59	57		prepared or maintained in conducting the strategic fiscal review or
60	58		preparing the strategic fiscal review report, including
61	59		intra-agency and interagency communications and drafts of the
62	60		strategic fiscal review report, or portions of those drafts, is
63	61		excepted from required public disclosure as audit working papers
64	62		under Section 552.116. This subsection does not affect whether
65	63		information described by this subsection is confidential or
66	64		excepted from required public disclosure under a law other than
67	65		Section 552.116.
68	66		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
69	67		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
70	68		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
71	69		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
72	70		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
73		-	______________________________ ______________________________
74		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
75		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 68 passed the Senate on
76		-	April 11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
77		-	the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 23, 2019, by the
78		-	following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
79		-	______________________________
80		-	Secretary of the Senate
81		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 68 passed the House, with
82		-	amendment, on May 17, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 141,
83		-	Nays 0, two present not voting.
84		-	______________________________
85		-	Chief Clerk of the House
86		-	Approved:
87		-	______________________________
88		-	Date
89		-	______________________________
90		-	Governor