| Last Updated: | 3/5/2012 |
| Budget Issue: | BreEZe information technology project funding |
| Program: | Department of Consumer Affairs Bureaus, Programs, Divisions |
| Finding or Recommendation: | Approve $8.4 million for continued funding of the BreEZe project and to fund credit card processing fees. Modify budget bill language to provide legislative oversight. |
The Governor's January budget proposes additional one-time funding of $6.4 million for the continuation of the BreEZe project. The total costs of the project are consistent with the Special Project Report (SPR) approved by the California Technology Agency on July 20, 2011. In addition, the administration is requesting ongoing expenditures of approximately $2 million annually to fund credit card processing fees. The DCA requests budget bill language that provides added flexibility to respond to changes in the BreEZe project implementation schedule.
We recommend the Legislature approve the Governor's January budget proposal. However, changes to the BreEZe project implementation schedule could lead the DCA to request an augmentation to the budget of a board or bureau in excess of its budget year appropriation. It is reasonable for the DCA to notify the Legislature in advance so that there is an appropriate level of oversight. Therefore, we further recommend that the requested budget bill language be modified as follows:
1110-401 and 1111-401--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon the request of the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Department of Finance may make technical revisions to the amount available for expenditure to pay BreEZe project costs based on the BreEZe deployment schedule for each Board and Bureau. Any augmentations or technical revisions may be made no sooner than 30 days after notification in writing to the chairpersons of the committees in each house of the Legislature that consider appropriations and the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, or no sooner than whatever lesser time the chairperson of the joint committee may in each instance determine. The revision may increase or decrease any individual Budget Act item for the Department of Consumer Affairs, but the total net revisions shall be consistent with project costs as approved by the California Technology Agency in the most recent BreEZe Special Project Report. This provision shall apply to all Budget Act items for the Department of Consumer Affairs that have an appropriation for BreEZe.