BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 400|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 400
Author: De Leon (D), et al
Amended: 6/15/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE : 12-0, 6/23/09
AYES: Wright, Harman, Benoit, Denham, Florez, Negrete
McLeod, Oropeza, Padilla, Price, Wiggins, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 11-0, 7/6/09
AYES: Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Hancock, Leno, Price, Runner,
Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Denham, Oropeza
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/14/09 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State agencies: FISCal funds
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Financial Information
System for California to list State General Fund and
federal fund expenditures in the amount of $5,000 or
greater on a public Web site.
ANALYSIS : Existing law imposes specified duties on state
governmental agencies and provides for public access to
government records.
Existing law, the California State Constitution, provides
CONTINUED
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that California's citizens are entitled to a right to
privacy.
This bill:
1.Defines "General Fund and federal fund expenditures" as
the expenditure or transfer of funds in excess of $5,000
by any state department, including:
A. Grants.
B. Contracts.
C. Purchase orders.
2.Excludes GF transfers between state departments or
agencies, or the transfer of state or federal assistance
payments to any individual recipient or beneficiary of
those assistance payments.
3.Requires the following information for each GF and
federal fund expenditure to be listed:
A. The name and principal location of each entity
or other recipient of the funds.
B. The amount of the expenditure.
C. The type of transaction.
D. The identity of the state department or agency
making the expenditure.
E. The budget program source for the expenditure.
F. A brief description of the purpose for the
expenditure.
G. A brief description of any item purchased
pursuant to the expenditure.
4.Makes related legislative findings and declarations.
Comments
According to the author's office, "AB 400 seeks to provide
greater transparency in the state budget process, so the
public can easily access and readily review how taxpayer
money is being spent. Support for public programs is
largely predicated on the belief that tax dollars are spent
in a prudent and efficient manner. Transparency in the
expenditure of these tax dollars is critical to returning
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public support and confidence in state government."
Financial Information System for California (FISCal) .
FISCal is an integrated information technology project
designed to create and implement a new statewide financial
system which will encompass the areas of budgeting,
accounting, procurement, cash management, financial
management, financial reporting, cost accounting, asset
management, project accounting, and human resources
management. FISCal is designed to replace California's
aging financial management systems; FISCal will be rolled
out in five phases, over a multi-year period, to more than
a hundred departments and agencies.
Development of this system has been done collaboratively
(under FISCal), which includes the Department of Finance
(DOF), the State Treasurer's Office (STO), the State
Controller's Office (SCO), and the Department of General
Services (DGS). The system is required to have an online
searchable database and the capability of operating a
coding structure which indicates the categorization of
expenditures and revenues. The system and the data are
required to be available to both the legislative and
executive branches.
The FISCal project was proposed during the 2007-08 budget
process as an entirely General Fund project. However, due
to a number of factors including General Fund expense, the
Legislature requested more information on alternative
funding scenarios, vendor accountability, and formalization
of control agency roles. It is unclear when FISCal will
move forward and whether the proposed timeline will remain
intact.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10
2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Adds requirement to FIScal very minor and
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absorbable General
by project Special*
* All departments will participate in a FISCal share of
cost, which draws on general and special funds.
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/7/09)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
California Faculty Association
California Public Interest Research Group
Service Employees International Union, Local 1000
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill,
Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley,
Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,
Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,
Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuller, Furutani, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman,
Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,
Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,
Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Ammiano, Fuentes, Gaines, Saldana, Smyth
TSM:nl 7/7/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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