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2003 SESSION

032519903
HOUSE BILL NO. 1838
Offered January 8, 2003
Prefiled January 7, 2003
A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-1508 and 2.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Taxpayer's Budget Bill of Rights.
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Patrons-- Reese, Albo, Athey, Bell, Black, Bolvin, Carrico, Cole, Cosgrove, Devolites, Gear, Hugo, Hurt, Ingram, Janis, Johnson, Landes, Lingamfelter, Louderback, Marrs, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., McQuigg, Moran, Nixon, Nutter, O'Bannon, Oder, Petersen, Purkey, Rollison, Rust, Saxman, Sears, Welch and Wright; Senator: O'Brien
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Referred to Committee on Appropriations
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 2.2-1508 and 2.2-1509 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-1508. Submission of executive budget to General Assembly.

A. On or before December 20 in the year immediately prior to the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly held in an even-numbered year, the Governor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house of the General Assembly printed copies of a budget document, which shall be known as "The Executive Budget," based on his own conclusions and judgment, containing the following:

1. For each agency, the amount and number of positions appropriated for the current appropriation year and the amount and number of positions recommended for each year of the ensuing biennial period beginning with the first day of July thereafter, accompanied by an explanation of the recommended amount and number of positions.

2. A statement of historical and projected trends that influence the general economic conditions in the Commonwealth and a statement of the economic assumptions upon which revenue projections are based.

3. A statement of the Governor's proposed goals, objectives, and policies which shall be accompanied by measurable performance standards in the areas of:

a. Administration of justice;

b. Education, including intellectual and cultural development;

c. Individual and family services;

d. Resources and economic development, including specific references to economic development and management of natural resources;

e. Transportation; and

f. General government, including therein or as separate categories areas of multiple impact, such as telecommunications, energy, and urban development.

4. A statement organized by function, primary agency, and proposed appropriation item that sets forth:

a. Identification of common programs and services;

b. Service attainments or lack of attainments and service terminations or reductions for the biennium;

c. Major goals and, objectives, and specific outcomes related to expenditures for programs;

d. Program measures to be used in monitoring and evaluating services; and

e. Evaluation cycles for each program; and

e. f. The amount of each primary agency's budget that is direct aid to localities.

5. A statement of proposed capital appropriations organized by the primary agency that sets forth the program need for the project and the proposed source of funding.

6. Provisions for public access to all program related, agency or departmental evaluations performed in the previous 3 years.

B. On or before December 20 of the year immediately prior to the beginning of the regular session of the General Assembly held in odd-numbered years, the Governor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house of the General Assembly printed copies of a budget document, which shall be known as "Executive Amendments to the Appropriation Act," describing all gubernatorial amendments proposed to the general appropriation act enacted in the immediately preceding even-numbered session.

C. The Executive Budget and Executive Amendments to the Appropriation Act shall be set forth in a format and use language that can be easily understood by the citizens of the Commonwealth, and shall be placed on the Commonwealth's web page to provide easy access by the public to the Budget.

§ 2.2-1509. Budget bill.

A. On or before December 20 of the year immediately prior to the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly held in an even-numbered year, the Governor also shall submit to the presiding officer of each house of the General Assembly, at the same time he submits "The Executive Budget," copies of a tentative bill for all proposed appropriations of the budget, for each year in the ensuing biennial appropriation period, which shall be known as "The Budget Bill." "The Budget Bill" shall be organized in an easily understood format by function, program, primary agency, and proposed appropriation item using language that can be easily understood and shall include (i) an identification of, and authorization for, common programs and; (ii) the appropriation of funds according to programs; and (iii) specific outcomes, functions, and goals related to expenditures. Except as expressly provided in an appropriation act, whenever the amounts in a schedule for a single appropriation item are shown in two or more lines, the portions of the total amount shown on separate lines are for information purposes only and are not limiting. No such bill shall contain any appropriation the expenditure of which is contingent upon the receipt of revenues in excess of funds unconditionally appropriated.

B. The salary proposed for payment for the position of each cabinet secretary and administrative head of each agency and institution of the executive branch of state government shall be specified in "The Budget Bill," showing the salary ranges and levels proposed for such positions.

C. "The Budget Bill" shall include all proposed capital appropriations, including each capital project to be financed through revenue bonds or other debt issuance, the amount of each project, and the identity of the entity that will issue the debt.

D. Concurrently with the submission of "The Budget Bill," the Governor shall submit a tentative bill involving a request for authorization of additional bonded indebtedness if its issuance is authorized by, or its repayment is proposed to be made in whole or in part, from revenues or appropriations contained in "The Budget Bill."

E. On or before December 20 of the year immediately prior to the beginning of each regular session held in an odd-numbered year of the General Assembly, the Governor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house printed copies of all gubernatorial amendments proposed to the general appropriation act adopted in the immediately preceding even-numbered year session. In preparing the amendments, the Governor may obtain estimates in the manner prescribed in §§ 2.2-1504, 2.2-1505, and 2.2-1506. On the same date he shall also submit a tentative bill during the second year of the appropriation period, a request for authorization of additional bonded indebtedness if its issuance is authorized by, or its repayment is proposed to be made in whole or in part, from revenues or appropriations contained in the proposed gubernatorial amendments.

F. The proposed capital appropriations or capital projects described in, or for which proposed appropriations are made pursuant to, this section shall include the capital outlay projects required to be included in "The Budget Bill" pursuant to § 2.2-1509.1. The Governor shall propose appropriations for such capital outlay projects in "The Budget Bill" in accordance with the minimum amount of funding and the designated sources of funding for such projects as required under § 2.2-1509.1.