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Summary of LAO Findings and Recommendations on the 2013-14 Budget

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Program
Budget Issue		LAO Finding Or
Recommendation
Last Updated
See Detail  CalSTRS Need to determine contractual parameters for "financially sound" funding plan Recommend that Legislature ask CalSTRS board directly what a funding plan would have to look like--in its view and that of its actuaries--to fulfill the contractual commitment provided to teachers for a financially sound pension plan. 5-17-13
See Detail  CalHR Increased cost for state IT project: Examination and Certification Online System (ECOS) Require California Technology Agency (CTA) and the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to jointly submit quarterly reports to the Legislature on the project's progress. These reports should specify (1) whether CTA or CalHR anticipate making or have made any change to the project's scope, schedule, or budget and (2) whether they are experiencing any significant problems with the project. 5-07-13
See Detail  CalPERS Pension board faces difficult decision concerning its actuarial policies. Provides information concerning the CalPERS board's consideration of new actuarial policies that could increase further the pension contributions of many public employers beginning in 2014-15. 4-15-13
See Detail  Commission on State Mandates Seek New Decision on Open Meeting Act Mandate Direct the administration to file a request with the Commission on State Mandates to adopt a new decision on the Open Meeting Act mandate in light of the passage of Proposition 30. 4-04-13
See Detail  Commission on State Mandates Governor's proposal to suspend Interagency Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting (ICAN) mandate Reject Governor's proposal to suspend the ICAN mandate and establish a workgroup to develop alternatives for the Legislature to consider that would: (1) reduce future reimbursable costs under the mandate and (2) consider alternative reimbursement methods for funding the mandated activities. 4-01-13
See Detail  Triple Flip Administration’s trailer bill proposal related to future “triple flip” unwinding mechanism Discusses the proposed trailer bill language that aims to ensure local governments receive the full amount of reduced sales and use taxes related to the triple flip 3-15-13
See Detail  CSM Reject Governor's proposal to suspend elections mandates Reject Governor’s January budget proposal to suspend all elections mandates because doing so would put elections uniformity at risk. Instead, we recommend that the Legislature (1) fund the elections mandates at a cost of about $60 million in 2013 14 and (2) direct the administration to work with counties to explore alternative funding mechanisms for election mandates. 3-13-13
See Detail  California Military Department (CMD) Budget for State Active Duty (SAD) employees Reduce CMD's budget in 2013-14 by $600,000 in General Fund and $700,000 in federal funds to reflect the middle salary range of State Active Duty employees, consistent with CMD's actual expenditures and the practice in most state departments. 3-08-13
See Detail  California Technology Agency Recommend pause on troubled payroll IT project and assessment of state IT oversight Recommend that the Legislature require a thorough evaluation of the suspended 21st Century IT Project, a cost-benefit analysis of future alternatives, and an assessment of the state’s IT project oversight and risk management efforts. 3-06-13
See Detail  State Controller’s Office Recommend pause on troubled payroll IT project and assessment of state IT oversight Recommend that the Legislature require a thorough evaluation of the suspended 21st Century IT Project, a cost-benefit analysis of future alternatives, and an assessment of the state’s IT project oversight and risk management efforts. 3-06-13
See Detail  Department of Industrial Relations Workers' compensation reform: return-to-work program Recommend that the Legislature clarify its intent for funding the return-to-work (RTW) program created in Chapter 363, Statutes of 2012 (SB 863, De León). 3-06-13
See Detail  Department of Industrial Relations Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU) funding Adopt the Governor's proposal to redirect $431,000 General Fund to the CMU, but reject the additional $2 million General Fund redirection proposed. We have no policy issues with the proposed $5 million loan from the Targeted Inspection and Consultation Fund. We offer alternatives to the administration's statutory proposal for a long-term funding plan for CMU given fiscal and policy concerns. 2-28-13
See Detail  Employee Compensation Budget reflects scheduled benefit increases. Hold item open until after the May Revision when the 2014 health premium negotiations and the collective bargaining for 19 bargaining units may be closer to completion. 2-25-13
See Detail  DGS Reject proposed State parking garage repairs Reject the Governor's January proposal for $1.1 million in special repairs to the Sacramento State Garage. 2-21-13
See Detail  DGS Make two Certified Access Specialist positions limited term. Maintain oversight of program. Alter the Governor's January proposal for five permanent positions at the Division of the State Architect by making two of the positions limited-term. Maintain oversight of the Certified Access Specialist program to ensure program outcomes meet legislative goals. 2-21-13
See Detail  DGS Reject building rental rate increase for ADA repairs and deferred maintenance Reject Governor's January budget proposal for a temporary, across-the-board $0.10 rental rate increase for the state's office buildings because it is an inappropriate way to fund special repairs across multiple facilities. 2-21-13
See Detail  Commission on State Mandates Explore Alternatives to Mandate Reimbursement Process Mandate Direct the administration to work with local governments to explore alternative methods of reimbursing local governments for the cost of filing for mandate claims, with the objective of reducing costs and restoring reimbursement to local governments. 2-21-13
See Detail  Commission on State Mandates Amend California Public Records Act Mandate Amend the California Public Records Act to recast provisions determined to be a reimbursable mandate as best practices. Require each local government annually to comply with best practices or announce at its first regularly scheduled public meeting that the local government will not meet the best practices. 2-21-13
See Detail  Commission on State Mandates Modify Local Agency Ethics Mandate Eliminate future costs related to the local agency ethics mandate by modifying state law to make payment of compensation or expense reimbursement to local elected officials optional for all local governments. 2-21-13
See Detail  California Gambling Control Commission Reorganization of gambling oversight Approve Governor's January proposal to decrease the California Gambling Control Commission budget by $5.4 million from two special funds to reflect the transfer of gambling oversight responsiblity to the Department of Justice Bureau of Gambling Control. The proposal is consistent with and necessary to implement the reorganization plan enacted in 2012-13. 2-19-13
See Detail  Department of Industrial Relations Regulatory assessments and related proposals Reauthorize Occupational Safety and Health Fund (OSHF) and Labor Enforcement and Compliance Fund (LECF) assessments and repeal the high hazard assessment that is deposited in the Targeted Inspection and Consultation Fund (TICF). Reduce OSHF by $9 million and increase TICF by like amount. Contingent on related legislative actions, reduce OSHF authority by $350,000 and four positions. 2-15-13
Department of Industrial Relations Child performer service permits: staffing augmentation Modify the administration's request for eight permanent positions and $701,000 by approving the request on a two-year limited-term basis. This is a new program and the permit processing workload is largely unknown. Limited-term approval of this request would require the administration to justify the appropriate ongoing staffing level for this program in a future budget proposal. 2-15-13
See Detail  Office of Technology Services (OTech) Office of Technology Services (OTech) Spending Authority for Capacity Growth Approval of the Governor’s proposal to increase OTech spending authority by $32.1 million to increase capacity to address customer service demand. (Four separate proposals totaling $32.1 million) 2-14-13
See Detail  Department of Technology Department of Technology Prior-Year Adjustments Approve the Governor’s technical budgeting proposal to adjust the Department of Technology’s spending authority to align previously approved budget actions with actual or better estimated expenditures. 2-14-13
See Detail  Local Government Financing Insufficient ERAF Consider limiting local government reimbursement for vehicle license fee (VLF) swap and triple flip funding shortfalls to actual sales tax and VLF revenue losses. Additionally, consider creating a locally administered mechanism to compensate local governments for VLF swap and triple flip funding shortfalls. 2-13-13