5.03 (language only)

§4-5.03 SERVICES AND CLIENTS

a. CHANGED COST FACTORS:

1. No state agency, or its governing body, shall alter factors (e.g., qualification level for receipt of payment or service) which may increase the number of eligible recipients for its authorized services or payments, or alter factors which may increase the unit cost of benefit payments within its authorized services, unless the General Assembly has made an appropriation for the cost of such change.

2.  State agencies shall submit any proposed modifications in rates to be charged by internal service funds, pursuant to §§2.2-803, 2.2-1101, and 2.2-2013, Code of Virginia, that impact on agency expenditures to the Department of Planning and Budget for review prior to approval by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.  In its review, the Department of Planning and Budget shall determine whether the requested rate modifications are consistent with budget assumptions and report its findings to the Commission prior to the approval of the rate request. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Planning and Budget, with assistance from agencies that operate internal service funds as requested, shall establish policies and procedures for annually reviewing and approving internal service fund overhead surcharge rates and working capital reserves.

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, in coordination with the Department of Planning and Budget, shall establish policies and procedures for annually reviewing internal service fund revenues, expenditures, and approval of rates. By September 1 each year, state agencies that operate an internal service fund, pursuant to §§ 2.2-803, 2.2-1101, and 2.2-2013, Code of Virginia, that have an impact on agency expenditures, shall submit a report to the Department of Planning and Budget and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to include all information as required by the Department of Planning and Budget to conduct a thorough review of overhead surcharge rates, revenues, expenditures, full-time positions,  and working capital reserves for each internal service fund.  The report shall include any proposed modifications in rates to be charged by internal service funds for review and approval by the Department of Planning and Budget.  In its review, the Department of Planning and Budget shall determine whether the requested rate modifications are consistent with budget assumptions.  The format by which agencies submit the operating plan for each internal service fund shall be determined by the Department of Planning and Budget with assistance from agencies that operate internal service funds as requested.

4. State agencies that operate internal service funds may not change a billable overhead surcharge rate to another state agency unless the resulting change is provided in the final General Assembly enacted budget.

5. State agencies that operate more than one internal service fund shall comply with the review and approval requirements detailed in this Item for each internal service fund.

6. As determined by the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, state agencies that operate select programs where an agency provides a service to and bills other agencies shall be subject to the annual review of the agency’s internal service funds consistent with the provisions of this Item, unless such payment for services is pursuant to a memorandum of understanding authorized by § 4-1.03 a. 7 of this act.

7. The Governor is authorized to change internal service fund overhead surcharge rates, including the creation of new rates, beyond the rates enacted in the budget in the event of an emergency upon prior notice to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.  Such prior notice shall be no less than five days prior to enactment of a revised or new rate and shall include the basis of the emergency and the impact on state agencies.

8. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commonwealth’s statewide electronic procurement system and program known as eVA shall have all rates and working capital reserves reviewed and approved by the Department of Planning and Budget consistent with the provisions of this Item.

9. State agencies that are partially or fully funded with nongeneral funds and are billed for services provided by another state agency shall pay the nongeneral fund cost for the service from the agency’s applicable nongeneral fund revenue source consistent with an appropriation proration of such expenses.

b. NEW SERVICES:

1. No state agency shall begin any new service that will call for future additional property, plant or equipment or that will require an increase in subsequent general or nongeneral fund operating expenses without first obtaining the authorization of the General Assembly.

2. Pursuant to the policies and procedures of the State Council of Higher Education regarding approval of academic programs and the concomitant enrollment, no state institution of higher education shall operate any academic program with funds in this act unless approved by the Council and included in the Executive Budget, or approved by the General Assembly. The Council may grant exemptions to this policy in exceptional circumstances.

3. Reporting on all new services shall be in accordance with § 4-8.00, Reporting Requirements.

c. OFF-CAMPUS SITES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION:

No moneys appropriated by this act shall be used for off-campus sites unless as provided for in this section.

1. A public college or university seeking to create, establish, or operate an off-campus instructional site, funded directly or indirectly from the general fund or with revenue from tuition and mandatory educational and general fees generated from credit course offerings, shall first refer the matter to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for its consideration and approval. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia may provide institutions with conditional approval to operate the site for up to one year, after which time the college or university must receive approval from the Governor and General Assembly, through legislation or appropriation, to continue operating the site.

2. For the colleges of the Virginia Community College System, the State Board for Community Colleges shall be responsible for approving off-campus locations. Sites governed by this requirement are those at any locations not contiguous to the main campus of the institution, including locations outside Virginia.

3. a) The provisions herein shall not apply to credit offerings on the site of a public or private entity if the offerings are supported entirely with private, local, or federal funds or revenue from tuition and mandatory educational and general fees generated entirely by course offerings at the site.

b) Offerings at previously approved off-campus locations shall also not be subject to these provisions.

c) Further, the provisions herein do not govern the establishment and operations of campus sites with a primary function of carrying out grant and contract research where direct and indirect costs from such research are covered through external funding sources. Such locations may offer limited graduate education as appropriate to support the research mission of the site.

d) Nothing herein shall prohibit an institution from offering non-credit continuing education programs at sites away from the main campus of a college or university.

4. The State Council of Higher Education shall establish guidelines to implement this provision.

d. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

1. In accordance with § 2.2-1501, Code of Virginia, the Department of Planning and Budget shall develop a programmatic budget and accounting structure for all new programs and activities to ensure that it provides the appropriate financial and performance measures to determine if programs achieve desired results and outcomes. The Department of Accounts shall provide assistance as requested by the Department of Planning and Budget. The Department of Planning and Budget shall provide this information each year when the Governor submits the budget in accordance with § 2.2-1509, Code of Virginia, to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations, House Finance, and Senate Finance Committees.

2.a) Within thirty days of the enactment of this act, the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, shall make available via electronic means to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees and the public a list of the new initiatives for which appropriations are provided in this act.

b) Not later than ninety days after the end of the first year of the biennium, the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, shall make available via electronic means a report on the performance of each new initiative contained in the list, to be submitted to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees and the public. The report shall compare the actual results, including expenditures, of the initiative with the anticipated results and the appropriation for the initiative. This information shall be used to determine whether the initiative should be extended beyond the beginning period. In the preparation of this report, all state agencies shall provide assistance as requested by the Department of Planning and Budget.