PRINTER'S NO. 3795
No. 2849 Session of 1992
INTRODUCED BY EVANS, JUNE 16, 1992
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, JUNE 16, 1992
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation Commission
2 and providing for its powers and duties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Performance
7 Evaluation Act.
8 Section 2. Purpose.
9 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
10 (1) There is the need to continuously evaluate the
11 performance of the Commonwealth's programs and policies to
12 assure that tax dollars are spent in the most effective and
13 efficient manner possible.
14 (2) The citizens of this Commonwealth have the right to
15 know that State government is meeting their needs in a cost-
16 effective manner.
17 (3) Agencies of State government must be able to
1 demonstrate that their programs are meeting their goals and
2 objectives and are having a positive impact on the
3 Commonwealth and its citizens, by becoming more focused,
4 concentrated and intensive in their performance evaluation
5 efforts both for the short term and the long term.
6 (4) Given the constrained nature of the fiscal resources
7 that will be available both now and into the foreseeable
8 future, only those programs that prove their worth can be
9 considered for continued funding.
10 Section 3. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Commission." The Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation
15 Commission established in section 4.
16 Section 4. Creation of Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation
17 Commission.
18 The Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation Commission is hereby
19 established to develop and implement a comprehensive system of
20 performance evaluation.
21 Section 5. Membership.
22 The commission shall consist of nine members. The members of
23 the commission shall include the Secretary of the Budget, the
24 Secretary of Administration, the State Treasurer, the Auditor
25 General, the Chairperson of the Legislative Budget and Finance
26 Committee and the majority chairperson and the minority
27 chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and
28 the majority chairperson and the minority chairperson of the
29 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The
30 members of the commission shall elect a chairperson at their
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1 first meeting.
2 Section 6. Powers and duties of commission.
3 (a) Meetings.--The commission shall meet as frequently as it
4 deems appropriate, but at least once during each month. The
5 Secretary of the Budget shall be responsible for calling the
6 initial meeting of the commission. The initial organizational
7 meeting of the commission shall take place within 30 days of the
8 effective of this act.
9 (b) Resources.--The commission may utilize the staff and
10 resources of the General Assembly, any Commonwealth agency, and
11 any public or private institution which receives Commonwealth
12 funds. The General Assembly, Commonwealth agencies, and public
13 or private institutions receiving Commonwealth funds shall
14 provide staff and resources as requested at no cost to the
15 commission. The commission may use such space, staff and
16 resources of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
17 prepare its final report.
18 (c) Objectives.--The commission shall evaluate the current
19 structure and system of performance evaluation in the
20 Commonwealth and develop and implement a comprehensive and
21 coordinated system of evaluation that includes monitoring,
22 impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis. In so doing, the
23 commission shall take into consideration the effectiveness of
24 the existing systems, including:
25 (1) Program evaluations.
26 (2) Preaudits.
27 (3) Program measures.
28 (4) Financial audits.
29 (5) Budget process.
30 (6) Sunset reviews.
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1 (7) Legislative oversight.
2 (8) Performance audits.
3 (d) Report to General Assembly.--Within 90 days of the
4 effective date of this act, the commission shall identify those
5 programs most in need of performance evaluation prior to March
6 31, 1993. The commission shall submit to the General Assembly a
7 performance evaluation report by March 31, 1993, for each of the
8 programs identified above with specific recommendations,
9 including whether:
10 (1) To continue or discontinue the program.
11 (2) To improve its practices and procedures.
12 (3) To modify specific program strategies and
13 techniques.
14 (e) Comprehensive report.--The commission shall issue to the
15 Governor and the General Assembly a comprehensive report by
16 October 31, 1993, containing its recommendations on how to
17 implement a systematic means of evaluating programs in order to
18 make State government in Pennsylvania more effective and cost
19 efficient.
20 Section 7. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect immediately.
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