2020 Georgia Code
Title 45 - Public Officers and Employees
Chapter 12 - Governor
Article 4 - Office of Planning and Budget
Part 1 - Management of Budgetary and Financial Affairs
§ 45-12-95. Duty of Office of Planning and Budget to Encourage State Agencies to Identify and Implement Cost-Saving Measures and to Decentralize State Government

1. It is the intent of the General Assembly to encourage state agencies to identify and implement cost-saving measures and to decentralize state government.
2. It is the duty of the Office of Planning and Budget to assist state agencies in identifying and implementing measures that provide current services to the public at a reduced cost or improved services to the public at the same cost and that whenever possible, consistent with such objectives, those services be administered or provided from facilities that are decentralized.
3. The Office of Planning and Budget is authorized to encourage state agencies to identify and propose cost-saving initiatives by establishing a system of financial incentives.A cost-saving initiative shall include a description of the proposed action to effect a cost reduction and the proposed use of the resulting savings.A system of financial incentives to encourage agencies to identify and propose cost-saving initiatives shall include the following provisions:
   1. Any agency that implements an approved cost-saving initiative shall be eligible to receive one-half of the resulting savings to be spent on other unfunded or underfunded needs of the agency's own choosing, provided that any such expenditures are consistent with the organization's approved strategic plan and do not create a continuing funding requirement in future fiscal years unless approved by the General Assembly in the next appropriations Act; and
   2. Where cost savings are one-time in nature, the implementing agency shall be eligible to receive one-half of the savings for one year.Where cost savings result from reductions in continuation spending, the implementing agency shall be eligible to receive one-half of the savings each year for a period of three years.
4. The Office of Planning and Budget must review and approve all proposed cost-saving initiatives prior to their implementation for the implementing agency to be eligible for receipt of financial incentives. However, as part of this review, the Office of Planning and Budget must consult with a cross section of agencies and the House Budget and Research Office and the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office.
5. The Office of Planning and Budget shall maintain records on all approved cost-saving initiatives and, with the Governor's approval, shall reflect in the budget report submitted each year to the General Assembly the cost reductions in the affected agencies' budgets and the resulting financial incentives by agency.
6. The Office of Planning and Budget shall issue rules and regulations as necessary to implement this program.

(Code 1981, §45-12-95, enacted by Ga. L. 1993, p. 1914, § 13; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 45; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1865, § 5; Ga. L. 2008, p. VO1, § 1-18/HB 529; Ga. L. 2014, p. 866, § 45/SB 340.)

The 2014 amendment, effective April 29, 2014, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted "House Budget and Research Office and the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office" for "House Budget Office and the Senate Budget Office" in the last sentence of subsection (d).

- Ga. L. 1993, p. 1914, § 1, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Budget Accountability and Planning Act of 1993.' "

PART 2 REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AND STATE CONTRACTS

Subpart 1 Federal Assistance

1. Any state department, board, bureau, commission, authority, or other state agency, except the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and its employees, intending to apply for any new program of federal assistance under any federal program shall notify the House Budget and Research Office, the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, and the director of the Office of Planning and Budget of its intention to apply for such federal assistance at least 30 days prior to filing the application for such assistance. Such notification shall include a summary description of the proposed federal assistance project, the amount of federal funds to be requested, the amount of state matching funds, if any, to be required in connection with obtaining federal assistance, and the period of time to be covered by the proposed federal assistance project.
2. The House Budget and Research Office, the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, and the director of the Office of Planning and Budget, acting jointly or independently, are authorized and directed to devise and distribute such forms as may be necessary to carry out subsection (a) of this Code section and, in connection therewith, to adopt and promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to ensure compliance with said subsection.

(Ga. L. 1972, p. 411, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 8, § 45; Ga. L. 2008, p. VO1, § 1-19/HB 529; Ga. L. 2014, p. 866, § 45/SB 340.)

The 2014 amendment, effective April 29, 2014, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted "House Budget and Research Office, the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office" for "House Budget Office, the Senate Budget Office" in subsections (a) and (b).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 72 Am. Jur. 2d, States, Territories, and Dependencies, § 80.

- 81A C.J.S., States, § 414.