Joint Budget Committee. The bill modifies the established set of
definitions to be used when analyzing available evidence regarding a program or practice in relation to a budget request, request for a supplemental appropriation, or budget request amendment (collectively, budget request). The bill also modifies accordingly the process for incorporating evidence-based decision-making into budgetary decisions.
If a state agency or the office of state planning and budgeting
(office) includes information regarding the best available evidence on the effectiveness of a program or practice in a budget request, the state agency or office is required to give the program or practice an evidence designation based on the statutory definitions. In such case, the state agency or office is also required to provide a summary of the best available evidence about the program or practice, information concerning how the best available evidence is connected to the budget request, and any plans to evaluate the program or practice to build evidence regarding its effectiveness (collectively, the evidence designation justification).
Joint budget committee staff is required to review the evidence
designation justification and to include an evidence designation or state that an evidence designation is not applicable as part of any recommendation it makes regarding a budget request. The staff director is required to appoint additional staff as necessary to review and evaluate the evidence designation and its justification. The joint budget committee is required to consider, as one of many factors, the evidence designation when determining the appropriate level of funding for a program or practice.
The bill also makes conforming amendments.
