NH Senate passes bill to require departments to recommend 5% cuts in budget forever

[Keith and stuff]

Edit: The final bill that became law called for a 10% cut recommendation, not a 5% recommendation.

The NH Senate passed a bill which would require NH departments to recommend a 5% cut to their biennial budget by a vote of 22 to 1.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legi...11/SB0146.html
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill...ponsors=209081

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven

AN ACT relative to requiring submission of a reduced spending alternative as part of the biennial budget process.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Paragraph; Requests for Appropriations and Statement of Objectives; Reduced Spending Alternative. Amend RSA 9:4 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:

III. On or before November 15 prior to each biennial legislative session, all departments of the state shall transmit to the commissioner of administrative services, in a format determined by and on blanks furnished by the commissioner, a reduction level expenditure estimate for each fiscal year of the ensuing biennium for administration, operation, and program services, including costs for workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation.

(a) This estimate shall include:

(1) An estimate for a reduced level of expenditure for the first year of the next biennium that is 5 percent less than the actual expenses of the first year of the current biennium.

(2) An estimate for a reduced level of expenditure for the second year of the next biennium that is 5 percent less than the budget and any footnote adjustments or subsequent appropriations, additions, or reductions, implemented in the second year of the current biennium.

(b) The 2 reduction level expenditure estimates shall include recommendations for any changes to state statutes and administrative rules required to achieve the reduced level of expenditure.

(c) In case of the failure of any department to submit such estimates within the time specified, the commissioner of administrative services shall cause to be prepared such estimates for such department as in the commissioner’s opinion are reasonable and proper.

(d) Upon completion, estimates submitted pursuant to this section shall be publicly available under RSA 91-A.

(e) Within the meaning of this section, the governor shall provide criteria for the development of the reduced expenditure level estimates and make the final determination as to whether a particular cost shall be deemed to be a reduction level expenditure.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.