(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the increasing revenue constraints on state and local government and the increasing costs of financing state-mandated local programs make evaluation of state-mandated local programs imperative. Accordingly, it is the intent of the Legislature to increase information regarding state mandates and establish a method for regularly reviewing the costs and benefits of state-mandated local programs.
(b) (1) The Controller shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and fiscal committees by October 31 of each fiscal year beginning with the 2007–08 fiscal year. This report shall summarize, by state mandate, the total amount of claims paid per fiscal year and the amount, if any, of mandate deficiencies or surpluses. This report shall be made available in an electronic spreadsheet format.
(2) The Controller shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the applicable fiscal committees, and the Director of Finance by April 30 of each fiscal year. This report shall summarize, by state mandate, the total amount of unpaid claims by fiscal year that were submitted before April 1 of that fiscal year. The report shall also summarize any mandate deficiencies or surpluses. It shall be made available in an electronic spreadsheet, and shall be used for the purpose of determining the state’s payment obligation under paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
(c) After the commission submits its second semiannual report to the Legislature pursuant to Section 17600, the Legislative Analyst shall submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and legislative fiscal committees on the mandates included in the commission’s reports. The report shall make recommendations as to whether the mandate should be repealed, funded, suspended, or modified.
(d) In its annual analysis of the Budget Bill and based on information provided pursuant to subdivision (b), the Legislative Analyst shall report total annual state costs for mandated programs and, as appropriate, provide an analysis of specific mandates and make recommendations on whether the mandate should be repealed, funded, suspended, or modified.
(e) (1) A statewide association of local agencies or school districts or a Member of the Legislature may submit a proposal to the Legislature recommending the elimination or modification of a state-mandated local program. To make such a proposal, the association or member shall submit a letter to the Chairs of the Assembly Committee on Education or the Assembly Committee on Local Government, as the case may be, and the Senate Committee on Education or the Senate Committee on Local Government, as the case may be, specifying the mandate and the concerns and recommendations regarding the mandate. The association or member shall include in the proposal all information relevant to the conclusions. If the chairs of the committees desire additional analysis of the submitted proposal, the chairs may refer the proposal to the Legislative Analyst for review and comment. The chairs of the committees may refer up to a total of 10 of these proposals to the Legislative Analyst for review in any year. Referrals shall be submitted to the Legislative Analyst by December 1 of each year.
(2) The Legislative Analyst shall review and report to the Legislature with regard to each proposal that is referred to the office pursuant to paragraph (1). The Legislative Analyst shall recommend that the Legislature adopt, reject, or modify the proposal. The report and recommendations shall be submitted annually to the Legislature by March 1 of the year subsequent to the year in which referrals are submitted to the Legislative Analyst.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Assembly Committee on Local Government and the Senate Committee on Local Government hold a joint hearing each year regarding the following:
(1) The reports and recommendations submitted pursuant to subdivision (e).
(2) The reports submitted pursuant to Sections 17570, 17600, and 17601.
(3) Legislation to continue, eliminate, or modify any provision of law reviewed pursuant to this subdivision. The legislation may be by subject area or by year or years of enactment.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 728, Sec. 72. (SB 71) Effective January 1, 2013.)