What's happening
This bill establishes a non-partisan legislative budget office in New York to provide independent budget analysis and revenue forecasts.
Why it matters
Creates an independent, non-partisan office to analyze state finances. , aiming to provide legislators and the governor with objective information—potentially reducing the influence of partisan or executive-controlled budget forecasts.
Mandates regular, quarterly revenue estimates. (January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15), which could increase transparency, improve fiscal planning, and help avoid budget shortfalls or overoptimistic spending.
Requires the new office to assess the fiscal impact of proposed legislation. , giving lawmakers a clearer understanding of how new laws might affect state finances before they vote.
Empowers the office to request financial data from all state agencies and public authorities. , which could improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of budget analysis, but may also create new demands on agency resources and data-sharing protocols.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Budget Watchdog Office
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1290
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sens. AVELLA, KLEIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to creation of the legislative budget office
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The legislative law is amended by adding a new article 5-C to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5-C
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET OFFICE Section 88-k. Non-partisan legislative budget office.
88-l. Powers and duties of the non-partisan legislative budget
office.
§ 88-k. Non-partisan legislative budget office. There is hereby established a non-partisan legislative budget office.
§ 88-l. Powers and duties of the non-partisan legislative budget office. 1. The non-partisan legislative budget office shall perform budget analysis to determine the funding levels necessary to the operation of governmental departments and programs and render anticipated revenue estimates for each fiscal year. Such revenue estimates shall be used exclusively for purposes of determining budget expenditures.
2. The director of the non-partisan legislative budget office shall examine and review all financial information of the state for the purpose of rendering revenue estimates used in determining whether the proposed state budget is balanced.
3. The non-partisan legislative budget office shall be headed by a director who shall be appointed by a joint resolution of the senate and assembly for a term of five years. He or she shall devote his or her full time and effort to the office of director and he or she shall hold no other public office. The director shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by the office. The director may appoint budget analysts,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00965-01-7
S. 1290 2
assistants and such other employees as he or she may deem necessary or desirable, prescribe their duties and fix their compensation within the amounts appropriated and made available therefor.
4. The non-partisan legislative budget office shall be charged with the duty of rendering anticipated revenue forecast reports to the legislature and the governor for the purposes of facilitating passage of the state budget in a timely manner. The director may request and shall receive from all public officers, departments, agencies and authorities of the state and its political subdivisions, such assistance and data as shall be necessary to project anticipated state revenues for budgetary purposes.
5. The non-partisan legislative budget office shall provide assistance in determining the fiscal impact of proposed legislation.
6. The non-partisan legislative budget office shall submit to the legislature written estimates of anticipated state revenues on January fifteenth, April fifteenth, July fifteenth and October fifteenth of each year.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to creation of the legislative budget office
Purpose of the bill
Allows for a non-partisan budget office to be established. This office would be similar to that of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office that would perform budget analysis for both Houses of the State Legislature.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Adds a new Legislative Law Article 5-C to create the Legislative Budget Office.
Section 2: Sets forth an effective date of January 1st next succeeding the date upon which it shall become law.
Justification
One of the reasons that has been cited for the repeated delays in meeting state budget deadlines is that the Assembly, the Senate, and the Governor each have their own fiscal staffs which, more often than not, disagree on state revenue estimates for the upcoming fiscal year. In recent years, these disagreements in state budget revenue estimates have stalled budget negotiations because money cannot be accurately allocated to different state agencies and among state programs when there is no agreed upon estimate of anticipated revenue.
The establishment of a Legislative Budget office should help to eliminate the partisan effect of the Senate and the Assembly fiscal staffs and ensure that both houses are using the same set of numbers. Because the office would be non-partisan, estimates developed would be based on more accurately on economic reality. The use of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office has helped to alleviate at least some of the delays that have occurred in negotiating the Federal budget. It is hoped that this bill could do the same for the State Budget.
Prior legislative history
A.3953 of 2001-2002; A.572 of 2003-2004; A.1003 of 2005-2006; A.2675 of 2007-2008; S.6233 (Klein)/A.1896 (Morelle) of 2009-2010 - Referred to Investigations & Government Operations; S. 611(Klein)/A.2838 (Morelle) of 2011-2012 - Referred to Investigations & Government Operations; S.2256 (Klein)/A.6807 (Morelle)-Referred to Investigations & Government Operations; S.1702 of 2015-2016-Referred to Investigations & Government Operations
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
Would not require additional funding because the money currently being spent for budget analysis for Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committee could be used.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.