Budget And Policy Analysis — Function Of Legislative Services Office

TITLE 67 STATE GOVERNMENT AND STATE AFFAIRS CHAPTER 7 LEGISLATIVE SERVICES OFFICE 67-703. Budget and policy analysis — function of legislative services office. The legislative services office at the direction of the legislative council has authority to: (1)  Provide the legislature with research and analysis of current and projected state revenue, state expenditure and state tax expenditures; (2)  Provide the legislature with a report analyzing the governor’s proposed levels of revenue and expenditures for budgets and supplemental budget requests submitted to the legislature; (3)  Provide an analysis of the impact of the governor’s proposed revenue and expenditure plans for the next fiscal year; (4)  Review and evaluate requests for appropriations, including proposed plans and policies related to such requests, and make recommendations to the joint finance-appropriations committee and the legislature in relation thereto; (5)  Prepare draft legislation, statements of purpose and fiscal notes that individually or collectively represent motions affirmatively voted upon by the senate finance and house of representatives appropriations committees to provide each state agency with an annual budget; (6)  Have access, with or without prior notice, during regular operating hours to any records or other documents maintained by any state agency relating to their expenditures, revenues, operations and structure; (7)  Conduct research on matters of economic and fiscal policy and report to the legislature on the result of the research; (8)  Provide economic reports and studies on the state of the state’s economy, including trends and forecasts for consideration by the legislature; (9)  Conduct budget and tax studies and provide general fiscal and budgetary information; (10)  Review and make recommendations on the operation of state programs in order to appraise the implementation of state laws regarding the expenditure of funds and to recommend means of improving their efficiency; (11)  Recommend to the legislature changes in the mix of revenue sources for programs, in the percentage of state expenditures devoted to major programs, and in the role of the legislature in overseeing state government expenditures and revenue projections; (12)  Make a continuing study and investigation of the building needs of the government of the state of Idaho, including, but not limited to, the following: the current and future requirements of new buildings, the maintenance of existing buildings, rehabilitating and remodeling of old buildings, the planning of administrative offices, and exploring the methods of financing buildings and related costs; (13)  Conduct studies of state and local finances, analyzing and making recommendations to the legislature on issues including levels of state support for political subdivisions, basic levels of local need, balances of local revenues and options, relationship of local taxes to individuals’ abilities to pay and financial reporting by political subdivisions; and (14)  Develop and make available to the legislature and its standing or special legislative committees such fiscal information as will assist the legislature or any legislative committee in its deliberations.