2.2-1508 - Submission of executive budget to General Assembly.

§ 2.2-1508. Submission of executive budget to General Assembly.

A. On or before December 20 in the year immediately prior to the beginning ofeach regular session of the General Assembly held in an even-numbered year,the Governor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house of theGeneral Assembly printed copies of a budget document, which shall be known as"The Executive Budget," based on his own conclusions and judgment,containing the following:

1. For each agency, the amount and number of positions appropriated for thecurrent appropriation year and the amount and number of positions recommendedfor each year of the ensuing biennial period beginning with the first day ofJuly thereafter, accompanied by an explanation of the recommended amount andnumber of positions. Such information shall also include the total estimatedamount appropriated for personnel costs for each agency.

2. A statement of historical and projected trends that influence the generaleconomic conditions in the Commonwealth and a statement of the economicassumptions upon which revenue projections are based.

3. A statement of the Governor's proposed goals, objectives, and policies inthe areas of:

a. Administration of justice;

b. Education, including intellectual and cultural development;

c. Individual and family services;

d. Resources and economic development, including specific references toeconomic development and management of natural resources;

e. Transportation; and

f. General government, including therein or as separate categories areas ofmultiple impact, such as telecommunications, energy, and urban development.

4. A statement organized by function, primary agency, and proposedappropriation item that sets forth:

a. Identification of common programs and services;

b. Service attainments or lack of attainments and service terminations orreductions for the biennium;

c. Major goals, objectives, and specific outcomes related to expenditures forprograms;

d. Program measures and performance standards to be used in monitoring andevaluating services; and the development of appropriate evaluation cycles,within available resources;

e. The amount of each primary agency's budget that is direct aid tolocalities.

5. A statement of proposed capital appropriations organized by the primaryagency that sets forth the program need for the project and the proposedsource of funding.

6. A listing of all activity, program-related, agency or departmentalevaluations performed in the previous two years with guidance indicating themanner in which the public can gain access to the full text of such studies.

7. A schedule and description of all data processing or other projects inwhich the Commonwealth has entered into or plans to enter into a contract,agreement or other financing agreement or such other arrangement thatrequires that the Commonwealth either pay for the contract by foregoingrevenue collections, or allows or assigns to another party the collection onbehalf of or for the Commonwealth any fees, charges, or other assessment orrevenues to pay for the project. Such schedule shall include by agency andproject (i) a summary of the terms, (ii) the anticipated duration, and (iii)cost or charges to any user, whether a state agency or institutions or otherparty not directly a party to the project arrangements. The description shallalso include any terms or conditions that bind the Commonwealth or restrictthe Commonwealth operations and the methods of procurement employed to reachsuch terms.

B. On or before December 20 of the year immediately prior to the beginning ofthe regular session of the General Assembly held in odd-numbered years, theGovernor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house of the GeneralAssembly printed copies of a budget document, which shall be known as"Executive Amendments to the Appropriation Act," describing allgubernatorial amendments proposed to the general appropriation act enacted inthe immediately preceding even-numbered session.

C. The Department of Planning and Budget shall prepare "The ExecutiveBudget" and the "Executive Amendments to the Appropriation Act" in amanner and with language that can be easily understood by the citizens of theCommonwealth and that provides, to the extent practical, a cross-reference tothe Governor's recommended budget bill or amendments to the AppropriationAct. Such documents shall also be placed on the Internet to provide easyaccess by the public.

(Code 1950, § 2-54; 1954, c. 673; 1966, c. 677, § 2.1-60; 1968, c. 683; 1971,Ex. Sess., c. 57; 1975, c. 325; 1976, c. 760, § 2.1-398; 1977, c. 656; 1978,c. 570; 1979, cc. 319, 320; 1981, c. 114; 1992, c. 582; 2001, c. 844; 2003,cc. 190, 888; 2009, c. 536.)