1. A. There is hereby established the Joint Legislative Committee on Budget and Program Oversight. The purposes of this committee shall include oversight of the implementation of a system of program budgeting for state agencies. Where appropriate, the Joint Committee shall also develop a process to link expenditures for program categories to corresponding program outcome measures.

2. B. The Joint Committee's duties shall also include:

   1. 1. Development of agency budget request forms and instructions in conjunction with the Office of State Finance;
   2. 2. Directing studies to aid in the development of legislative and procedural changes to further improve the budgetary, financial, accounting, reporting, personnel, and purchasing processes and systems of the state;
   3. 3. Direction of program evaluation and management studies;

   4. 4. Oversight and reporting on executive branch compliance with the legislative intent of appropriation measures. Such oversight and reporting duties may include:

      1. a. agency reorganization actions,
      2. b. executive orders calling for reduction of full-time-equivalents or hiring freezes, and
      3. c. transfer of funds by the executive branch; and
   5. 5. The development of revenue and expenditure estimates and analyses; and
   6. 6. Conduct examination and analysis pursuant to the Oklahoma Program Performance Budgeting and Accountability Act.
3. C. Any reference in the Oklahoma Statutes to the Joint Committee on Fiscal Operations shall be a reference to the Joint Legislative Committee on Budget and Program Oversight.

4. D. The Joint Committee shall be composed of the following members:

   1. 1. Seven (7) members of the Senate as appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and

   2. 2. Thirteen (13) members of the House of Representatives as appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A majority vote of the members appointed by each appointing authority shall be required for any action.

      Members of the Joint Committee shall be appointed for each Legislature at the time the Legislature convenes by the respective presiding officers of the two houses of the Legislature and shall serve for two (2) years. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee shall rotate every two (2) years between the Senate and the House of Representatives beginning with a Senate member serving as Chair in 1995. The Joint Committee shall meet at least four (4) times per year and at other times as called by the Chair. The Joint Legislative Committee on Budget and Program Oversight shall function as a committee of the Legislature when the Legislature is in session and is not in session. Each member of the Joint Committee shall serve until a successor is appointed.

5. E. The Joint Committee shall be staffed jointly by the staff of the fiscal divisions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
6. F. The Joint Committee may make use of all available teleconferencing technology to facilitate meetings of the Joint Committee when the Legislature is not in session. The Committee shall take any appropriate action to make such teleconferenced meetings comply with the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, Section 301 et seq. of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
7. G. The Joint Committee shall periodically meet in different geographical regions of the state to enhance the Joint Committee's understanding of local conditions and to help educate the public as to the fiscal condition of the state.

Laws 1994, SB 1127, c. 279, § 4, emerg. eff. May 26, 1994; Amended by Laws 1995, SB 620, c. 292, § 4, emerg. eff. July 1, 1995; Amended by Laws 1999, HB 1622, c. 358, § 10, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available)