Revision: Dec. 17, 2009, midnight
HB 1651-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2010 SESSION
09/10
HOUSE BILL 1651-FN
AN ACT requiring that current information and reports relative to the state budget be made available on the state website.
SPONSORS: Rep. Major, Rock 8; Rep. M. Smith, Straf 7; Rep. Almy, Graf 11; Rep. W. D. Scamman, Rock 13; Rep. Kurk, Hills 7; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. Janeway, Dist 7; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Downing, Dist 22
This bill requires that current information and reports relative to the state budget be made available by the department of administrative services on the state website.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
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09/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
AN ACT requiring that current information and reports relative to the state budget be made available on the state website.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Purpose. The purpose of this act is to promote transparency in the state budget process by providing the public and the general court access to budget, expenditure, and revenue information and reports which are not confidential and which are vital to good government.
2 New Chapter; Online Access to Budget Information and Reports. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 9-E the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 9-F
ONLINE ACCESS TO BUDGET INFORMATION AND REPORTS
9-F:1 Online Access to Budget Information and Reports.
I. The commissioner of administrative services shall make available on the state website the information and reports required to be made available to the public and to the general court under paragraphs II-IV of this section.
II. All expenditures by state agencies shall be published monthly, no later than the 15th day of the following month. These expenditures shall be reported in the same format as they were budgeted, showing budgeted/revised budgeted amounts spent for the month, for the year, and for the year to date. Expenditure reports generated by the financial reporting system of the state for agency use shall be used to satisfy this requirement.
III. Annually on or before October 31, a report from each agency shall be made available which shows the total amount expended during the prior fiscal year for each program providing aid or assistance to individuals. This annual report shall also document any changes in eligibility criteria or payment amount or formulas. Each agency shall prepare its annual report by analyzing and summarizing the content of its statement of appropriation and detail transaction register. Each agency shall submit its annual report to the commissioner of administrative services on or before September 1, using a common format developed by the commissioner of administrative services.
IV. A list of budget documents provided to the governor or to any state agency shall be made available to the general court at the end of the agency phase and governor’s phase of the operating budget process and to the public upon request.
3 Legislative Oversight Committee Established.
I. There is established a legislative oversight committee to monitor compliance with the requirements for online access to budget information and reports under RSA 9-F:1.
II.(a) The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(1) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(2) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(b) Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
III. The committee shall monitor compliance with the requirements for online access to budget information and reports under RSA 9-F:1.
IV. The members of the legislative oversight committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
V. The legislative oversight committee shall submit interim reports of its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2010 and November 1, 2011, and shall submit a final report on or before November 1, 2012.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.
LBAO
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12/16/09
HB 1651-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT requiring that current information and reports relative to the state budget be made available on the state website.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Administrative Services states this bill will increase state expenditures by $158,060 in FY 2011, $170,867 in FY 2012, $179,571 in FY 2013, and $188,745 in FY 2014. This bill will have no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue or county and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) states this bill requires that current information and reports relative to the state budget be made available on the state website. The criteria for the reporting of current information would include all expenditures by state agencies to be published no later than the 15th day of the following month in the same format as budgeted, showing budgeted/revised budgeted amounts spent for the month, for the year, and for the year to date to be reported. Additionally, this bill requires that on or before each September 1st a report be received by DAS from each agency detailing expenditures at the program level, with specific content detailed in the bill, and said report shall be published by DAS before October 31st each year. The Department’s Budget Office (DASBO) currently provides support for the submission of the agency proposed budgets for each biennium, and is responsible for the documents received from each agency by October 1st of each uneven year to make those budget requests available for public review. Support for the budget system during the complete budget development process is the responsibility of the Department’s Division of Financial Data Management (FDM). FDM is also responsible for maintaining the integrity of the data that is housed in the integrated financial system as it relates to general ledger accounting and transactional reporting. The Department states it could absorb base costs for agency budget support within the existing budgets of the DASBO and FDM. Although this bill does not establish positions or contain an appropriation, the Department states FDM would need to hire a full-time financial data specialist II (LG 30) for coordination of the monthly publishing requirements for public access, the redaction of confidential information, data validation between the budget and financial system interfaces, and direct daily contact with web support personnel. Additional funds would also be required for a separate computer server
LBAO
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to support the world wide web application necessary for public access inquiries. In addition, DASBO would need to hire an administrator II position (LG 29) to act as the budget and expenditure analyst for the monthly and annual requirements of the bill, and to coordinate reporting responsibilities with FDM staff and the Division of Accounting Services, Bureau of Accounts. The position would also coordinate the annual agency report requirements with DASBO business supervisors to meet the proposed deadlines contained in the bill. The Department assumes the bill will be enacted as law on July 1, 2010, and the required staff will be hired August 1, 2010. The Department also assumes the current format for the appropriation reports that are now utilized will not need to be modified, and that they will be published after redaction of confidential information. The Department states no report currently exists which reports current month expenditures only. The Department estimates the fiscal impact as follows –
FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014
Personnel and Costs $153,060 $165,867 $174,571 $183,745
FDM E/Server $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Total $158,060 $170,867 $179,571 $188,745