FY 1997 Appropriations Report

LEGISLATURE

The total FY 1997 appropriation of $11,358,800 for the Legislature and its staff agencies is an increase of 4.9 percent from estimated expenditures in FY 1996. (See Table 4 for a breakdown by program.)

Major budget increases included:

• The Legislature funded a daily compensation increase for legislators from $85 to $100 a day beginning January 1, 1997.
• Per diem allowance for lodging expenses for legislators living at least fifty miles from the Capitol Building was increased from $50 to $55 per day.
• One-time funding of $302,000 was also provided for purchase of laptop computers for each legislator.
• Funding of $66,500 was provided for the expense and staff support of two task forces and commissions, the Tax Elimination Blue Ribbon Committee and the Task Force on Air Quality, Transportation, and Land-Use.

Legislature also approved supplemental funding of $163,250 in FY 1996 for five additional task forces:

• Criminal Competency Task Force
• Juvenile Justice Task Force
• Task Force on Local Government Funding and Authority
• Department of Work Force Services Task Force
• Public Transit District Task Force

Senate

The Utah Senate is composed of 29 members and is organized into ten standing committees, interim study committees, nine appropriation subcommittees, and a management committee.

House of Representatives

The Utah House of Representatives is composed of 75 members and is organized into ten standing committees, interim study committees, nine appropriation subcommittees, and a management committee.

Legislative Printing

The Legislative Printing Office provides essentially all of the printing services for the Legislature and its staff agencies.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel is the research and legal staff arm of the Utah Legislature. The staff of the Office provides a legal and policy review of both current law and proposed legislation.

Included in the appropriation are funds to support several task forces and study committees established by the Legislature.

Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst

The major duties of this Office involve analyzing and making recommendations to the Legislature on every item in the Governor's budget, providing cost estimates on proposed legislation, and providing revenue estimates on existing and proposed revenue bills.

Office of the Legislative Auditor General

The major function of this Office is to conduct performance audits of state departments and institutions, including school districts and state colleges and universities. This office received funding for an additional audit position.

Tax Review Commission

The 1990 Legislature enacted House Bill 266 that established a Tax Review Commission. The Tax Review Commission is composed of 14 members, including two members from the Senate and two from the House of Representatives, five members appointed by the Governor, an ex officio member of the State Tax Commission and four members selected by the other ten members of the Commission. The purpose of the review commission is to establish an on going and comprehensive review of the tax laws of the State and its political subdivisions and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on tax issues and policies.

Constitutional Revision Commission

This Commission is responsible for making a comprehensive examination of the state constitution and recommending amendments to the Legislature.