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2001 SESSION

014555844
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 563
Offered January 10, 2001
Prefiled January 4, 2001
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study and assess the state’s performance-based program budgeting.
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Patrons-- McQuigg, Albo, Marshall and McClure
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, beginning in the early 1990s, the concept of government accountability began to take a new meaning throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, under this new meaning, it is held that government demonstrates accountability when it shows its citizens (i) what they are getting from the use of public funds in terms of products and services, (ii) how these expenditures benefit their lives or the lives of those they care about, and (iii) how efficiently and effectively the funds are used; and

WHEREAS, the concept of accountability holds government responsible not only for its actions, but also for the results of its actions; and

WHEREAS, in order to demonstrate accountability in this way, state and local governments and federal agencies began to develop new measurement and reporting systems; and

WHEREAS, in mid-1995, Virginia adopted a performance budgeting process to integrate planning and performance concepts with budget development; and

WHEREAS, the performance budgeting utilized by the state has the objective of blending strategic planning, performance measurement, and budget techniques; and

WHEREAS, the performance budgeting process suggests that state agencies identify the needs and demands of their constituents, prioritize agency programs, establish clear measurable objectives, produce and maintain a formal system of accountability, and use the information in budget development; and

WHEREAS, performance budgeting, once fully integrated into the budgeting process, helps state government become more creative, flexible, and entrepreneurial in responding to citizens’ needs; and

WHEREAS, this process is also designed to ensure that scarce resources are directed toward high priority and well-performing services, thereby helping to reduce spending without reducing services or pubic benefits; and

WHEREAS, in addition, it protects against government waste by providing objective measurements to determine the effectiveness of individual government programs, thereby leading to good governance; and

WHEREAS, several states and the federal government, like Virginia, have implemented performance-based budgeting and other efforts based on program performance information; and

WHEREAS, many of these jurisdictions have confronted issues relating to the implementation of these efforts that are similar to the issue confronting Virginia’s implementation of performance-based budgeting; and

WHEREAS, a review of the experience that these other jurisdictions have had in implementing their programs will suggest ways to increase the effectiveness of Virginia’s performance-based budgeting process; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study and assess the state’s implementation of performance-based program budgeting. The joint subcommittee shall be composed of nine legislative members as follows: six members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall review (i) the state’s efforts to fully implement the performance-based budgeting program, (ii) ways to maximize the legislature’s utilization of information developed through the performance-based budgeting process, (iii) the current efforts and experiences of the federal government and other states in implementing reform efforts based on program performance information, and (iv) compare information drawn from these efforts and experiences to point to actions Virginia may take to increase the effectiveness of its implementation of performance-based budgeting.

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $9,000.

The Division of Legislative Services shall provide staff support for the study. Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Planning and Budget. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2002 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.