2730                                             JOINT RESOLUTIONS                              No. 87

No. 87*

(House Joint Resolution No. 142)

A House Joint Resolution concerning

Program Evaluation and Zero—Base Budgeting

FOR the purpose of requesting the Governor to submit with
the annual budget bill a statistical summary of each
program administered by a State agency, department,
commission or board, including in the summary
certain factors relating to the output, cost and
effectiveness of each program; requesting that
certain statistical measures be developed for each
program and that procedures be developed for
obtaining and utilizing data for certain programs;
requesting that maximum utilization for certain
purposes be made of program information required for
certain other purposes; requesting that the Governor
submit with the budget bill a detailed list from
each department, agency, commission or board of the
programs, positions, and costs which it would elect
to alter if its budget were changed by certain
amounts; requesting that this list be accompanied by
a plan for retention of any State employees affected
by proposed program eliminations; and placing
certain conditions on transfers and retentions under
any proposed eliminations.

WHEREAS, The fiscal process, particularly in the
area of appropriations, is the most important continuing
policy tool available to the Legislature, as it is to the
Executive; and

WHEREAS, Informed legislative decision making in the
fiscal process requires a knowledge of the costs and
benefits of the various programs competing for State
revenues; and

WHEREAS, Such information about State programs is
not now currently available in convenient, comparative
form; and

WHEREAS, Such information would be of great utility
in evaluating the annual budget; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That
this Body requests the Governor of Maryland to select a
demonstration department or agency or major component
thereof, and to submit with the next annual budget bill
a statistical summary of each program administered
thereby [[by a State department, agency, commission or
board]] down to the level of the smallest program or
component which is reasonably identifiable, including