programs were established so long ago that the original
statutory basis has either been forgotten or is out of date.
In time the budget is driven by inertia rather than by clear
and defensible purposes.
(3) Zero-based budgeting is an effective method to
counter the tendency toward perpetuation of outdated State
programs.
Section 3. Budget review.
(a) Review.--The Secretary of the Budget shall subject every
program in State government to zero-based budget review no less
often than once every five years. In order to implement this
schedule, approximately one-fifth of the budget shall be subject
to zero-based budgeting in each year beginning in 2022. In 2020,
the Governor shall submit a zero-based budget for agencies with
a cumulative total of expenditures of at least 20% of the
General Fund budget.
(b) Agency plan.--To accommodate zero-based budget review,
the Secretary of the Budget shall require agencies to prepare
and submit a zero-based budget plan in addition to any other
information that may be required by statute, rule or directive.
At a minimum, the plan shall contain the following information:
(1) A description of those discrete activities that
comprise the agency and a justification for the existence of
each activity by reference to statute or other legal
authority.
(2) For each activity, a quantitative estimate of any
adverse impacts that could reasonably be expected should the
activity be discontinued, together with a full description of
the methods by which the adverse impact is estimated.
(3) For each activity, an itemized account of
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