Joint Senate Committee Hearing On Performance-Based Budgeting Sept. 20

A joint Senate Appropriations and Republican Policy Committee hearing will be held on September 20 on Senate Bill 1341 (Mensch-R-Montgomery) which calls for performance-based budgeting (sponsor summary).

Senate Bill 1341 seeks to streamline and justify discretionary and state government spending by requiring departments and agencies to justify their budget requests beginning with dollar one, for all existing as well as proposed programs for each fiscal year, before they can receive consideration for budget funding.

The bill would create a performance-based budget board to review the performance-based budget plans of Pennsylvania agencies and make recommendations on how each agency’s programs may be made more transparent, effective, and efficient.

“The traditional method of budget development relies upon incremental adjustments to expenditures made in the previous financial period,” said Sen. Bob Mensch. “New and changing demands for public services are met through excessive budget growth rather than by pruning obsolete programs and redirecting existing funds.  We need to ensure that the budget is driven by clear and defensible purposes rather than inertia. We want government spending to be transparent, effective, and efficient for our taxpayers.”

The joint hearing will include national, state and local experts, along with representatives from the Independent Fiscal Office and the Governor’s Budget Office.  The testifiers will present their experiences with performance measures and how performance management can aid in decision making.

Those scheduled to testify include--

-- Sen. Patrick Browne (R-Lehigh) and Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill)– Opening Remarks and Introductions;

-- Sen. Bob Mensch – Opening Remarks and Discussion of Senate Bill 1341;

-- Secretary Randy Albright, Governor’s Office of the Budget – Discussion of Commonwealth budgeting model and performance measurement in budgetary planning, preparation and implementation;

-- Kathryn Vesey White, Senior Policy Analyst, NASBO – Performance-based budgeting in other states and its use to inform budget preparation and implementation;

-- Gary VanLandingham, Principal Officer, Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trust – Discussion of Results First Model and how it has assisted other jurisdictions in implementing a performance-based budget model;

-- Frank T. Gallagher, Superintendent, Souderton Area School District - Performance-based budgeting experience at Souderton Area School District;

-- Dr. William E. Harner, Superintendent, Quakertown Community School District – Performance-based budgeting experience at Quakertown Community School District;

-- Uri Monson, CFO, Philadelphia School District – Performance-based budgeting at local government level; and

-- Matt Knittel, Director, Independent Fiscal Office – Performance-based budgeting, Senate Bill 1341, IFO responsibilities and activities regarding performance measurement, establishing performance measures and evaluating outcomes in budget decision making.

The hearing will be held in Hearing Room 1, North Office Building starting at 1:00. Many Senate Appropriations Committee hearings are webcast, but there is nothing on the schedule yet to indicate it will be.