PRINTER'S NO. 601
No. 550 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY EVANS, DeWEESE, LINTON, KASUNIC, McCALL, ROBINSON,
LaGROTTA, BATTISTO, CAPPABIANCA, SANTONI, SCRIMENTI, HANNA,
COY, STISH, TRELLO, MUNDY, LAUGHLIN, BUSH, CORRIGAN, FREEMAN,
STURLA, STETLER, ARGALL, SAURMAN, TIGUE, D. W. SNYDER, MELIO,
PISTELLA, BELFANTI, SURRA, VEON, JAMES, THOMAS, TRICH,
GORDNER, CESSAR, ROONEY, LEE, JOSEPHS, STEELMAN, HUGHES AND
GERLACH, MARCH 15, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 15, 1993
AN ACT
1 Establishing the Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation Commission
2 and providing for its powers and duties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Performance
7 Evaluation Act.
8 Section 2. Purpose.
9 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
10 (1) There is the need to continuously evaluate the
11 performance of the Commonwealth's programs and policies to
12 assure that tax dollars are spent in the most effective and
13 efficient manner possible.
14 (2) The citizens of this Commonwealth have the right to
15 know that State government is meeting their needs in a cost-
1 effective manner.
2 (3) Agencies of State government must be able to
3 demonstrate that their programs are meeting their goals and
4 objectives and are having a positive impact on the
5 Commonwealth and its citizens, by becoming more focused,
6 concentrated and intensive in their performance evaluation
7 efforts both for the short term and the long term.
8 (4) Given the constrained nature of the fiscal resources
9 that will be available both now and into the foreseeable
10 future, only those programs that prove their worth can be
11 considered for continued funding.
12 Section 3. Definitions.
13 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
14 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
15 context clearly indicates otherwise:
16 "Commission." The Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation
17 Commission established in section 4.
18 Section 4. Creation of Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation
19 Commission.
20 The Pennsylvania Performance Evaluation Commission is hereby
21 established to develop and implement a comprehensive system of
22 performance evaluation.
23 Section 5. Membership.
24 The commission shall consist of nine members. The members of
25 the commission shall include the Secretary of the Budget, the
26 Secretary of Administration, the State Treasurer, the Auditor
27 General, the Chairperson of the Legislative Budget and Finance
28 Committee and the majority chairperson and the minority
29 chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate and
30 the majority chairperson and the minority chairperson of the
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1 Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The
2 members of the commission shall elect a chairperson at their
3 first meeting.
4 Section 6. Powers and duties of commission.
5 (a) Meetings.--The commission shall meet as frequently as it
6 deems appropriate, but at least once during each month. The
7 Secretary of the Budget shall be responsible for calling the
8 initial meeting of the commission. The initial organizational
9 meeting of the commission shall take place within 30 days of the
10 effective of this act.
11 (b) Resources.--The commission may utilize the staff and
12 resources of the General Assembly, any Commonwealth agency, and
13 any public or private institution which receives Commonwealth
14 funds. The General Assembly, Commonwealth agencies, and public
15 or private institutions receiving Commonwealth funds shall
16 provide staff and resources as requested at no cost to the
17 commission. The commission may use such space, staff and
18 resources of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
19 prepare its final report.
20 (c) Objectives.--The commission shall evaluate the current
21 structure and system of performance evaluation in the
22 Commonwealth and develop and implement a comprehensive and
23 coordinated system of evaluation that includes monitoring,
24 impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis. In so doing, the
25 commission shall take into consideration the effectiveness of
26 the existing systems, including:
27 (1) Program evaluations.
28 (2) Preaudits.
29 (3) Program measures.
30 (4) Financial audits.
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1 (5) Budget process.
2 (6) Sunset reviews.
3 (7) Legislative oversight.
4 (8) Performance audits.
5 (d) Report to General Assembly.--Within 90 days of the
6 effective date of this act, the commission shall identify those
7 programs most in need of performance evaluation prior to
8 November 30, 1993. The commission shall submit to the General
9 Assembly a performance evaluation report by November 30, 1993,
10 for each of the programs identified above with specific
11 recommendations, including whether:
12 (1) To continue or discontinue the program.
13 (2) To improve its practices and procedures.
14 (3) To modify specific program strategies and
15 techniques.
16 (e) Comprehensive report.--The commission shall issue to the
17 Governor and the General Assembly a comprehensive report by May
18 31, 1994, containing its recommendations on how to implement a
19 systematic means of evaluating programs in order to make State
20 government in Pennsylvania more effective and cost efficient.
21 Section 7. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect immediately.
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