Legislative consideration of nonfiscal policy items in the biennial budget bill

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill establishes a process for the removal of nonfiscal policy items from the biennial budget bill. Under the bill, a nonfiscal policy item is defined as an item that generally has no state fiscal effect or the policy implications of the item are greater than the state fiscal effect; an item that has been or is the subject of introduced legislation other than the biennial budget bill; an item that would be referred to a standing committee of the legislature, other than the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF); or an item that can be accomplished without legislation. Under the bill, however, nonfiscal policy items do not include those that affect state program eligibility; that, if prepared as a bill, would generally be referred to JCF; or that address a reorganization or transfer of state government operations or functions.

Under the bill, no later than 30 days after introduction of the biennial budget bill, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) must prepare a report, for submission to the cochairpersons of JCF, that identifies all nonfiscal policy items. The LFB shall also identify all nonfiscal policy items adopted in motions during JCF deliberations on a biennial budget bill. Each nonfiscal policy item identified by the LFB must be referred to an appropriate standing committee in each house of the legislature. The chairperson of each standing committee must hold a hearing and an executive session on the nonfiscal policy item to make recommendations to the assembly or senate, whichever is appropriate.

Who's behind it

Kathleen Vinehout, a Democrat, is its author⁠.

34 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.