81R4906 JRD-D

By: Watson S.B. No. 737

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to conducting a study to improve transparency in the state's budgeting process and electronic access to information about the state budget.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The governor and the Legislative Budget Board jointly shall lead a collaborative study concerning improved transparency in the state's budgeting process and improved electronic access to information about the state budget.

(b) In addition to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board, the following state officers, agencies, and institutions each shall designate one or more appropriate representatives to participate in the study as a member of a study team:

(1) the comptroller;

(2) the Department of Information Resources;

(3) the Texas Legislative Council;

(4) the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs; and

(5) any other state officer, agency, or institution invited by the governor or the Legislative Budget Board to participate in the study.

(c) The study team must generally address improving transparency and electronic access to information in connection with the process of developing the state's budget, the writing and consideration by the legislature of the general appropriations bill, and the expenditure of appropriated funds by the agencies and institutions of state government. In particular, the study team must address:

(1) how to better provide to members of the public and decision-makers information and analysis about all types of state budgetary information, with an emphasis on providing useful information and analysis about the 25 state programs that account for the greatest amount of state expenditures;

(2) how to better provide members of the legislature, legislative staff, state agencies, members of the press, and members of the public timely electronic access in an open standards format to proposed riders, proposed line-item appropriations, and reports concerning the general appropriations bill throughout any session of the legislature in which the general appropriations bill is being considered for adoption; and

(3) any enhancements and additions to information technologies employed by the legislative and executive branches of state government that would be necessary to improve access and transparency in the manner recommended by the team.

(d) The comptroller and the Legislative Budget Board shall develop cost estimates for the study team's recommendations.

(e) The governor and the Legislative Budget Board shall report the results of the study, including the study team's recommendations and the comptroller's and Legislative Budget Board's cost estimates for the recommendations, to the lieutenant governor and each member of the legislature by June 1, 2010.

SECTION 2. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2011.

SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.