Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 317 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Ballard, Melissa G.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/19/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• amends criteria for certain funds to be treated as nonlapsing;
• amends provisions relating to efficiency improvement processes in the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, including:
• identifying and prioritizing processes to incentivize, recognize, and reward a certain entity or entity employee for efficiency;
• providing for a certain entity or entity employee to recommend an efficiency evaluation;
• assessing certain metrics and outcomes to determine whether a certain entity's or entity's employee's recommendation results in cost-savings or time-savings; and
• whether the nonlapsing funds are used for employee retention or incentives;
• provides for reporting requirements; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

17
63J-1-602
63J-1-904
0
Executive Agency Innovation Incentives
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Melissa G. Ballard
Senate Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends and enacts provisions relating to efficiency improvement processes and 
certain funding requirements in the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
amends criteria for certain funds to be treated as nonlapsing;
amends provisions relating to efficiency improvement processes in the Governor's Office 
of Planning and Budget, including:
identifying and prioritizing processes to incentivize, recognize, and reward a certain 
entity or entity employee for efficiency; 
providing for a certain entity or entity employee to recommend an efficiency 
evaluation; 
assessing certain metrics and outcomes to determine whether a certain entity's or 
entity's employee's recommendation results in cost-savings or time-savings; and
whether the nonlapsing funds are used for employee retention or incentives; 
provides for reporting requirements; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
63J-1-602
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 86
63J-1-904
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 24
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
63J-1-602
 is amended to read:
63J-1-602
. Nonlapsing appropriations.
(1)
The appropriations from a fund or account and appropriations to a program that are 
listed in Section 
63J-1-602.1
 or 
63J-1-602.2
 are nonlapsing.
(2)
No appropriation from a fund or account or appropriation to a program may be treated 
as nonlapsing unless:
(a)
it is listed in Section 
63J-1-602.1
 or 
63J-1-602.2
;
(b)
it is designated in a condition of appropriation in the appropriations bill; 
or
(c)
nonlapsing authority is granted under Section 
63J-1-603
.
; or
(d)
it is reviewed under Section 
63J-1-904
.
(3)
Each legislative appropriations subcommittee shall review the accounts and funds that 
have been granted nonlapsing authority under the provisions of this section or Section 
63J-1-603
.
(4)
Except as provided in Subsection (5), on or before October 1 of each calendar year, an 
agency shall submit to the legislative appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over 
the agency's budget a report that describes the agency's plan to expend any nonlapsing 
appropriations, including:
(a)
if applicable, the results of the prior year's planned use of the agency's nonlapsing 
appropriations; and
(b)
if the agency plans to save all or a portion of the agency's nonlapsing appropriations 
over multiple years to pay for an anticipated expense:
(i)
the estimated cost of the expense; and
(ii)
the number of years until the agency will accumulate the amount required to pay 
for the expense.
(5)
The State Board of Education shall submit the report described in Subsections (4)(a) 
and (b) on or before October 10 of each calendar year.
Section 2, Section 
63J-1-904
 is amended to read:
63J-1-904
. Efficiency improvement process.
(1)
The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the Office of the Legislative Fiscal 
Analyst shall jointly operate a process 
that identifies and prioritizes
to identify and 
prioritize
 government processes to target for efficiency improvements.
(2)
The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the Office of the Legislative Fiscal 
Analyst shall ensure that the efficiency improvement process described in Subsection 
(1)
addresses the following:
(a)
the roles of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the Office of the 
Legislative Fiscal Analyst throughout the efficiency improvement process;
(b)
the process by which an appropriated entity's government process is selected for an 
efficiency evaluation;
(c)
the criteria and methodology used for an efficiency evaluation;
(d)
metrics demonstrating success, including:
(i)
service delivery savings;
(ii)
cost-savings; or
(iii)
time-savings;
(d)
whether to provide any rewards or incentives for an appropriated entity to 
implement recommendations from an efficiency evaluation;
(e)
rewards, recognitions, or incentives for an appropriated entity to make 
recommendations for or implement recommendations from an efficiency evaluation 
or other measurable efficiency improvements;
(f)
whether to create a formal or informal committee that advises the efficiency 
improvement process; and
(f)
(g)
the process by which the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and the 
Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst notify the Office of the Legislative Auditor 
General when an efficiency evaluation is completed.
(3)
On or before October 1 of each year, the entity shall report to the Governor's Office of 
Planning and Budget and the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst on the entity's 
progress toward the metrics described in Subsection 
(2)(d)
.
(4)
If the efficiency improvements result in cost-savings, as described in Subsection (2)(d), 
the entity may:
(a)
request a portion of funds to be treated as nonlapsing in accordance with Section 
63J-1-602
; and
(b)
use the funds for employee retention or employee performance incentives.
(3)
(5)
The Office of the Legislative Auditor General shall:
(a)
independently review the results of each efficiency evaluation conducted under this 
section, including whether the executive department agency implemented any 
recommendations from the efficiency evaluation;
(b)
provide a copy of the findings from the review to the Governor's Office of Planning 
and Budget and the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst; 
and
(c)
verify the reported progress described in Subsection 
(3)
; and
(c)
(d)
report the findings from the review to the Legislative Management Committee.
(4)
(a)
Following an independent review under Subsection 
(3)
, the Office of the 
Legislative Auditor General may conduct initial survey work at the discretion of the 
legislative auditor general.
(b)
If, based on the initial survey work described in Subsection 
(4)(a)
, the legislative 
auditor general determines further review is necessary, the legislative auditor general 
shall recommend to the Audit Subcommittee created in Section 
36-12-8
 that the 
Office of the Legislative Auditor General conduct an in-depth audit of the 
appropriated entity.
(5)
(6)
Each calendar year before December 31, the Governor's Office of Planning and 
Budget and the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst shall report to the governor and 
the Legislative Management Committee, respectively, regarding the status of the 
efficiency improvement process and recommended changes, if any.
(6)
(7)
The efficiency improvement process described in this section does not apply to a 
legislative department government process.
Section 3. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-6-25 1:49 PM