Assembly Bill A8600

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8600
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 10, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. KAVANAGH, RA, GOODELL -- read once and referred
   to the Committee on Governmental Operations
 
 AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in  relation  to  creation  of  the
   non-partisan legislative budget office
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new article  4-B
 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 4-B
                  NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE
 SECTION 76. NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE.
         77. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE; REPORT.
   §  76. NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
 ARTICLE:
   A. "OFFICE" MEANS THE NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE  BUDGET  OFFICE  ESTAB-
 LISHED IN THIS ARTICLE; AND
   B. "DIRECTOR" MEANS THE DIRECTOR OF THE NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE BUDG-
 ET OFFICE.
   C.  "SUPER-MAJORITY  VOTE"  MEANS  A  VOTE REQUIRING TWO-THIRDS OF THE
 MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH BRANCH OF THE LEGISLATURE.
   2. THERE IS HEREBY CREATED A NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE  BUDGET  OFFICE.
 THE  HEAD OF SUCH OFFICE SHALL BE THE DIRECTOR WHO SHALL BE APPOINTED BY
 A JOINT RESOLUTION REQUIRING A SUPER-MAJORITY VOTE OF BOTH OF THE SENATE
 AND ASSEMBLY FOR A TERM OF SEVEN YEARS.  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF  THE
 SENATE  AND  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SENATE
 MINORITY LEADER AND ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER SHALL REACH A CONSENSUS  ON
 A  CANDIDATE  FOR THE DIRECTOR POSITION ON WHICH THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
 SHALL VOTE. THE DIRECTOR OF  THE  LEGISLATIVE  BUDGET  OFFICE  SHALL  BE
 APPOINTED  WITHOUT  REGARD  TO  POLITICAL  AFFILIATION AND SOLELY ON THE
 BASIS OF FITNESS TO PERFORM THE DUTIES ASSIGNED BY THIS ARTICLE.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01915-01-7
              

 A. 8600                             2
 
   3. A DEPUTY DIRECTOR SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE DIRECTOR. ANY  INDIVID-
 UAL APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR TO FILL A VACANCY PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF A
 TERM  SHALL SERVE ONLY FOR THE UNEXPIRED PORTION OF THAT TERM. ANY INDI-
 VIDUAL SERVING AS DIRECTOR AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE TERM MAY CONTINUE TO
 SERVE  UNTIL  HIS  OR  HER SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED.   ANY DEPUTY DIRECTOR
 SHALL SERVE UNTIL THE EXPIRATION OF THE TERM OF OFFICE OF  THE  DIRECTOR
 WHO  APPOINTED  HIM OR HER, AND UNTIL HIS OR HER SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED,
 UNLESS SOONER REMOVED BY THE DIRECTOR.
   4.  THE DIRECTOR SHALL HOLD NO OTHER PUBLIC OFFICE  WHILE  SERVING  AS
 THE  DIRECTOR.  THE  DIRECTOR  SHALL RECEIVE SUCH COMPENSATION AS MAY BE
 FIXED BY THE LEGISLATURE.
   5. THE DIRECTOR MAY BE REMOVED BY EITHER THE ASSEMBLY OR THE SENATE BY
 RESOLUTION REQUIRING A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE MEMBERS ELECTED TO  EITHER
 BRANCH OF THE LEGISLATURE.
   § 77. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE; REPORT. 1. A. THE OFFICE SHALL:
   (I)  PROVIDE  INFORMATION  TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE
 AND ASSEMBLY  WITH  RESPECT  TO  THE  STATE  BUDGET,  APPROPRIATION  AND
 PROGRAMMATIC  BILLS  AND  OTHER  BILLS PROVIDING BUDGET AUTHORITY OR TAX
 EXPENDITURES;
   (II) EXAMINE AND REVIEW ALL FINANCIAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INFORMATION  OF
 THE  STATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF RENDERING REVENUE ESTIMATES USED IN DETER-
 MINING WHETHER ANY PROPOSED STATE BUDGET IS BALANCED;
   (III) BE CHARGED WITH THE DUTY OF RENDERING ANTICIPATED REVENUE  FORE-
 CAST  REPORTS  TO  THE  LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR FOR THE PURPOSES OF
 FACILITATING PASSAGE OF THE STATE BUDGET IN A TIMELY MANNER; AND
   (IV) PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN DETERMINING THE FISCAL IMPACT  OF  PROPOSED
 LEGISLATION AT THE REQUEST OF A MEMBER OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY.
   B.  THE  DIRECTOR  SHALL  DEVELOP, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CHAIRS AND
 RANKING MEMBERS OF THE SENATE STANDING  COMMITTEE  ON  FINANCE  AND  THE
 ASSEMBLY  WAYS  AND  MEANS  COMMITTEE,  A PRIORITY SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING
 REQUESTS FROM LEGISLATORS FOR FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENTS FOR THEIR  LEGIS-
 LATION.
   C.  THE  DIRECTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
 WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIORITY SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING  REQUESTS  FROM
 LEGISLATORS FOR FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENTS FOR THEIR LEGISLATION.
   2.  AT  THE  REQUEST  OF  ANY COMMITTEE CHAIR OR RANKING MEMBER OF THE
 SENATE OR ASSEMBLY, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE,  THE  LEGISLATIVE  BUDGET
 OFFICE SHALL PROVIDE TO SUCH COMMITTEE ANY INFORMATION WHICH WILL ASSIST
 IN THE DISCHARGE OF MATTERS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COMMITTEE.
   3. THE DIRECTOR MAY APPOINT BUDGET ANALYSTS, ASSISTANTS AND SUCH OTHER
 EMPLOYEES  AS  HE OR SHE MAY DEEM NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE, PRESCRIBE SUCH
 EMPLOYEE'S DUTIES  AND  FIX  SUCH  EMPLOYEE'S  COMPENSATION  WITHIN  THE
 AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED AND MADE AVAILABLE THEREFOR.
   4.  A.  THE OFFICE SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
 THE SENATE, SENATE MINORITY LEADER, THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY  AND
 ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I)  WRITTEN  ESTIMATES  OF  ANTICIPATED  STATE REVENUES FOR BUDGETARY
 PURPOSES;
   (II) PROJECTED ECONOMIC FACTORS AND FORECASTS;
   (III) SUMMARIZATION OF THE BUDGET PROPOSED BY THE GOVERNOR PURSUANT TO
 ARTICLE SEVEN OF THE CONSTITUTION; AND
   (IV) REVENUE SOURCES THAT COULD BE USED  AS  ALTERNATIVES  TO  REVENUE
 SOURCES OUTLINED IN THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET.
   B.  SUCH REPORT SHALL BE SUBMITTED ON THE FIRST OF MARCH EACH YEAR FOR
 THE NEXT SUCCEEDING FISCAL YEAR. AFTER SUBMISSION TO THE TEMPORARY PRES-
 IDENT OF THE SENATE, SENATE MINORITY LEADER, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY

 A. 8600                             3
 
 AND ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER, SUCH REPORT SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
 PUBLIC, UPON REQUEST.
   5.  A.  THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE SHALL BE FUNDED FROM LEGISLATIVE
 APPROPRIATIONS PROVIDED ANNUALLY, WITH EQUAL ALLOCATIONS PROVIDED BY THE
 SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY AS EACH HOUSE DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
   B. THE DIRECTOR MAY PROCURE, WITHIN THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED AND  MADE
 AVAILABLE  THEREFOR,  UP-TO-DATE COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, OBTAIN THE SERVICES
 OF EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY.
   § 2. Section 30 of the legislative law, as amended by chapter  766  of
 the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
   § 30. Duties  of finance and ways and means committees and secretaries
 AND OF THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE AND ITS DIRECTOR.   The  committees
 and  their  secretaries  AND  OF  THE  LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE AND ITS
 DIRECTOR shall have access at all reasonable times to offices  of  state
 departments,  commissions,  boards, bureaus and offices, to institutions
 and to all state authorities and public works of the state and they may,
 for the purpose of obtaining information as to the method of  operation,
 general  condition,  management  and  needs  thereof, examine the books,
 papers and public records therein.  Notwithstanding any other  provision
 of  law  such  state departments, commissions, boards, bureaus, offices,
 state authorities and institutions shall through their  proper  officers
 or deputies furnish to such committees AND THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE
 such  data, information or statements as may be necessary for the proper
 exercise of their powers and duties and for the purpose of carrying into
 effect the provisions of this article. The finance and  ways  and  means
 committee  in exercising the powers and performing the duties prescribed
 by this article may act jointly, or separately, as they deem advisable.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.