TRACKING AN AGENCY S BUDGET REQUEST Source: The authors extend their appreciation for the budget documents to the State of Connecticut s Office of Fiscal Analysis and Office of Policy and Management Budget Division. Sources for materials other than budget documents are cited with the appropriate text or exhibits. Neither the site owner or publisher nor any opinions or conclusions expressed on the Web site or publication are endorsed by the State of Connecticut or its Office of Policy and Management. The content obtained from the State of Connecticut presented here are not the property of the site owner or publisher nor does the site owner or publisher claim any copyright or other interest therein, to the extent that such content represents original works of the State of Connecticut. Here we track an agency request from the State of Connecticut s Department of Labor from the initial proposal in the governor s recommended budget through to program authorization, appropriation, and finally the budget request submitted as an existing program and its funding by the Appropriations Committee in the legislature. Note that the governor proposed the 21st Century Skills Training Program and the program was created within a single budget cycle. This speed means the documents are relatively few and accessible and the approval path is simple to follow. (The governor s budget office has made efforts to simplify and automate the process.) The orderly sequence of documents shown here should not be mistaken for straight-line steps in public policy making, as chapter 3 explains. Connecticut s state legislature, the General Assembly, uses joint (House and Senate) committees and subcommittees. The state uses a biennial budget process that adopts a full budget one year and makes adjustments to the adopted budget in the second year. Columns entitled revised show changes to the biennial budget as adopted. Changes for the second year of the two-year budget (biennium) are termed adjustments. For more information, see
2 http://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/eob.htm, http://www.cga.ct.gov/html/bill.pdf, and http://www.cga.ct.gov/app. The fiscal year begins July 1. EXECUTIVE FORMULATION AND SUBMISSION for FY 2006 FY2007 Agency s initial budget request before 21st Century Skills is created. These are documents that the Department of Labor submitted to the governor s central budget office, the Office of Policy and Management s Budget and Financial Management Division (OPM), in September 2004 for FY 2006 and Fiscal 2007. Figure 1, the summary page for the entire agency, shows the program structure. Note the date in the upper right-hand corner. The request is for Fiscal 2006 and Fiscal 2007, as shown in the last columns on the right on the form. The figures designated as actual for Fiscal 2004 are verified totals after the end of the fiscal year. The figures shown as estimated for Fiscal 2005 represent what is happening to the budget plan during implementation. Figure 2 summarizes all of the agency s existing programs. Figure 3 is the detailed breakout for the program, Workforce Job Training, in which 21st Century Skills will appear in the following biennium request (for FY 2008 and FY 2009). LEGISLATIVE REVIEW AND APPRIOPRIATION for FY 2006-FY2007 Action in Appropriations Committee The Appropriations Committee is one of the joint standing committees of the Connecticut General Assembly. It is composed of 55 members 12 Senators and 43 Representatives. The committee has cognizance of all matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies. Other issues under the committee's jurisdiction include matters relating to state employees' salaries, benefits and retirement, teachers' retirement and veterans' pensions and
3 collective bargaining agreements and arbitration awards for all state employees (Connecticut General Assembly, http://www.cga.ct.gov/app, accessed July 19, 2007). The Appropriation Committee is organized into subcommittees, each of which is responsible for the budget of several state agencies. The Conservation and Development Subcommittee (http://www.cga.ct.gov/app/app.asp) is responsible for the Department of Labor (http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us). Figure 4 is the executive budget office s analysis of the decision of the Appropriations subcommittee in March. The Appropriations subcommittee did not fund the program for which that the governor recommended $1.5 million. Note the attention to personal services (personnel), both numbers (position count) and dollars. Figure 5 is the executive budget office s analysis of the decision of the Appropriations Committee in April. The Appropriations Committee chose to fund the new program but at $500,000 less than the governor recommended. (In some situations, a reduction may reflect an agreement with the governor.) Figure 6 shows legislative leadership taking credit for establishing the new program. Figure 7 shows the agency s appropriation in the budget that was adopted (passed) in May 2006 for FY 2007 and signed by the governor. The program is funded as part of the budget adjustment for FY 2007, the second year of the two-year budget. Figure 8 shows legislative leadership taking credit for passing the budget that includes the new program. Figure 9 is an excerpt from the public act that provides the implementing language for the program.
4 EXECUTIVE FORMULATION AND SUBMISSION for FY 2008 FY2009 The agency submits its budget request for the Workforce Job Training Program, which includes 21st Century Skills, to the governor s budget office in September 2006. Figure 10 is an excerpt from the agency s budget request. Note that the program is now required by law (statutorily mandated). Figure 11 shows the 2006 version of figure 3 that was prepared in 2004. A significant difference is that Figure 11 provides details about the budget request for a statutorily mandated program. Note the attention to personal services (personnel), both numbers (position count) and dollars. Figure 12 displays the cost in dollars and employees of providing services under current law; the cost of current services allows for inflation and salary increases under existing labor contracts. Figure 13, the agency s budget request for a program change, is submitted to the governor s budget office for action. The legislature s fiscal office receives a copy. Note that the submission for this budget change comes about two months later than the submission on current services. The agency gives this request to expand the program low priority. Note the use of quantified program measures. Notice also the division of the request into base (current services) and option (expansion request). Figure 14 is an excerpt from the Appropriations Committee s annual budget bill submitted to the legislature in May 2007. At little more than $1 million, funding continues rather than expands the 21st Century Jobs program.
Figure 1 Note date
Figure 2
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Figure 5
"Connecticut Jobs for the 21st Century Heads to the Govenor's [sic] Desk Senate Bill #1 passes House. Sweeping jobs and economic development bill charts course to keep the state competitive State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) today praised House passage of "Senate Bill 1: Connecticut jobs for the 21st Century." The most sweeping economic development and jobs package in years will now be considered by Governor Rell. The measure passed unanimously in the state Senate. Source. Connecticut General Assembly, Senate Leadership, press release of April 25, 2006, http://www.senatedems.state.ct.us/pr/leaders-060425.html, accessed July 18, 2007. Figure 6
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Figure 7, continued
Senator Williams talks to members of the press outside the Senate Chamber minutes after passage of the state budget (May 1, 2006). State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) today applauded the 2006 budget adjustment passed today by the state Senate as a plan that provides tax relief for automobiles, real estate and businesses while returning money to cities and towns to keep local property taxes down. The spending plan also funds Senate Bill 1, "Connecticut Jobs for the 21st Century" the most comprehensive economic development plan to come out of the General Assembly in recent memory. Source. Connecticut General Assembly, Senate Leadership, 2006. Press release of May 1, http://www.senatedems.state.ct.us/pr/leaders-060501b.html, accessed July 18, 2007). In July 2004, Senator Williams was elected by the members of the state Senate to serve as President Pro Tempore, the highest-ranking legislator in the Connecticut General Assembly. He still serves in this post as of 2009. Source. Connecticut General Assembly, Senate Leadership, http://www.senatedems.state.ct.us/williams.html, accessed July 18, 2007. Figure 8
House Bill No. 5846, Public Act No. 06-187, AN ACT CONCERNING GENERAL BUDGET AND REVENUE IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS Sec. 14. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2006) (a) The Labor Commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and the Commissioner of Education, shall, within available appropriations, establish and operate the Twenty-First Century Skills Training Program, the purposes of which shall be to: (1) Sustain high growth occupation and economically vital industries identified by such commissioners; and (2) assist workers in obtaining skills to start or move up their career ladder. Such job training program may include training designed to increase the basic skills of employees, including, but not limited to, training in written and oral communication, mathematics or science, or training in technical and technological skills and such other training as such commissioners determine is necessary to meet the needs of the employer. No more than five per cent of the appropriation for the program may be used for administrative purposes. (b) Not less than fifty per cent of the cost of such training shall be borne by the employer requesting the training. (c) The Labor Commissioner is authorized to adopt, pursuant to chapter 54 of the general statutes, any regulations required to carry out this section (p. 11). Figure 9
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Figure 11 Note date
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Figure 13 Note date
Figure 14
Figure 14, continued