H.J.R. 5

1

JOINT RESOLUTION ON STATE BUDGET
2 ACCESSIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
3 2013 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason
6 Senate Sponsor: ____________
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This rules resolution modifies procedures relating to budgetary recommendations by
11 legislators and appropriations subcommittees and establishes the Budget Accessability
12 and Transparency Website.
13 Highlighted Provisions:
14 This resolution:
15 . defines terms;
16 . requires each member of an appropriations subcommittee to submit the member's
17 individual recommendations regarding the proposed items of expenditure under
18 consideration by the subcommittee;
19 . requires each appropriations subcommittee report to include the recommendation of
20 the subcommittee, the recommendation of each member of the subcommittee, and
21 the average of the recommendations made by members of the subcommittee;
22 . requires the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst to create and maintain the
23 Budget Accessability and Transparency Website;
24 . describes the contents and functionality requirements for the website; and
25 . makes technical changes.
26 Special Clauses:
27 None

28 Legislative Rules Affected:
29 AMENDS:
30 JR3-2-402
31 ENACTS:
32 JR3-2-701
33
34 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
35 Section 1. JR3-2-402 is amended to read:
36 JR3-2-402. Executive Appropriations -- Duties -- Base budgets.
37 (1) As used in this rule:
38 (a) "Base budget" means amounts appropriated by the Legislature for each item of
39 appropriation for the current fiscal year that:
40 (i) are not designated as one-time in an appropriation, regardless of whether [or not]
41 the [appropriations] appropriation is covered by ongoing or one-time revenue sources; and
42 (ii) were not vetoed by the governor, unless the Legislature overrode the veto.
43 (b) "Base budget" includes:
44 (i) any changes to those amounts approved by the Executive Appropriations
45 Committee; and
46 (ii) amounts appropriated for debt service.
47 (2) (a) The Executive Appropriations Committee shall meet no later than the third
48 Wednesday in December to:
49 (i) direct staff as to what revenue estimate to use in preparing budget
50 recommendations;
51 (ii) decide whether [or not] to set aside special allocations for the end of the session;
52 (iii) approve the appropriate amount for each subcommittee to use in preparing its
53 budget;
54 (iv) set a budget figure; and
55 (v) adopt a base budget in accordance with Subsection (2)(b) and direct the Legislative
56 Fiscal Analyst to prepare one or more appropriations acts appropriating one or more base
57 budgets for the next fiscal year.
58 (b) In a base budget adopted under Subsection (2)(a), appropriations from the General

59 Fund, the Education Fund, and the Uniform School Fund shall be set as follows:
60 (i) if the next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates set under Subsection (2)(a)(i) are
61 equal to or greater than the current fiscal year ongoing appropriations, the new fiscal year base
62 budget is not changed;
63 (ii) if the next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates set under Subsection (2)(a)(i) are
64 less than the current fiscal year ongoing appropriations, the new fiscal year base budget is
65 reduced by the same percentage that projected next fiscal year ongoing revenue estimates are
66 lower than the total of current fiscal year ongoing appropriations; and
67 (iii) in making a reduction under Subsection (2)(b)(ii), appropriated debt service shall
68 not be reduced, and other ongoing appropriations shall be reduced, in an amount sufficient to
69 make the total ongoing appropriations, including the unadjusted debt service, equal to the
70 percentage calculated under Subsection (2)(b)(ii).
71 (c) The chairs of each [appropriation] appropriations subcommittee are invited to
72 attend this meeting.
73 (3) Appropriations subcommittees may not meet while the Senate or House is in
74 session without special leave from the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.
75 (4) All proposed items of expenditure to be included in the appropriations bills shall be
76 submitted to one of the subcommittees named in JR3-2-302 for consideration and
77 recommendation.
78 (5) Each member of a subcommittee shall:
79 (a) consider the proposed items of expenditure submitted to the subcommittee; and
80 (b) before the subcommittee makes recommendations to the Executive Appropriations
81 Committee, submit to the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst the member's individual
82 recommendations regarding the proposed items of expenditure.
83 (6) Each subcommittee report shall include, for each item of expenditure submitted to
84 the subcommittee:
85 (a) the recommendation of the subcommittee;
86 (b) the recommendation of each member of the subcommittee; and
87 (c) the average of the recommendations made by each member of the subcommittee.
88 [(5)] (7) (a) After receiving and reviewing subcommittee reports, the Executive
89 Appropriations Committee may refer the report back to an appropriations subcommittee with

90 any guidelines the Executive Appropriations Committee considers necessary to assist the
91 subcommittee in producing a balanced budget.
92 (b) The subcommittee shall meet to review the new guidelines and report the
93 adjustments to the chairs of the Executive Appropriations Committee as soon as possible.
94 [(6)] (8) (a) After receiving the reports, the Executive Appropriations Committee
95 chairs will [report] present them to the Executive Appropriations Committee.
96 (b) That committee shall:
97 (i) make any further adjustments necessary to balance the budget; and
98 (ii) complete all decisions necessary to draft the final appropriations bill no later than
99 the 38th day of the annual general session.
100 Section 2. JR3-2-701 is enacted to read:
101 Part 7. Budget Accessability and Transparency Website
102 JR3-2-701. Budget Accessability and Transparency Website.
103 (1) As used in this rule, "website" means the Budget Accessability and Transparency
104 Website described in this rule.
105 (2) The Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst shall:
106 (a) create and maintain a Budget Accessability and Transparency Website; and
107 (b) make the website available to the public.
108 (3) The website shall:
109 (a) be searchable and organized in a manner that will enable a user to easily track and
110 compare budgetary recommendations and changes throughout the appropriations process;
111 (b) allow a user to compare budget proposals at multiple levels, including the fund
112 category level, fund level, account level, subcommittee level, agency level, line item level, and
113 program level;
114 (c) allow a user to compare the budget for expenditures from the General Fund, the
115 Education Fund, and the Uniform School Fund, to the revenue in, or revenue estimates for,
116 those funds at the levels described in Subsection (3)(b);
117 (d) allow a user to compare, at the levels described in Subsection (3)(b):
118 (i) the base budget;
119 (ii) budget recommendations by:
120 (A) subcommittees, as described in JR3-2-402(6)(a);

121 (B) each member of a subcommittee, as described in JR3-2-402(6)(b); and
122 (C) the average of the recommendations made by each member of a subcommittee, as
123 described in JR3-2-402(6)(c);
124 (iii) actions by the Executive Appropriations Committee in relation to the budget;
125 (iv) bills with appropriations; and
126 (v) actions by the House and Senate in relation to the budget.
127 (4) Information on the website relating to budgetary recommendations and actions shall
128 be displayed in chronological order.




Legislative Review Note
as of 10-1-12 12:41 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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