HEARINGS - 6955

If it has prepared a bill analysis (see Bill Analysis section below) and recommended a position which has been approved by the Governor’s Office Legislative Unit, a department under the control of the Governor may testify at policy committee hearings. A department should not express any position on a measure unless that position has been approved by the Governor’s Office Legislative Unit.

In the Assembly and Senate Revenue and Taxation committees (which are policy committees), Finance has an established role. Staff of Finance present testimony on the Administration's position on each bill heard by those committees. The basis of both the testimony and the Administration's position is the Finance bill analysis after it has been approved by the Governor's Office Legislative Unit.

Except for the Revenue and Taxation Committees, Finance typically does not get involved with a bill while it is in the jurisdiction of a policy committee. Finance does, however, have a role in the fiscal committee (Appropriations and Budget) hearing process.  A Finance "testifier" attends the hearings of the Assembly and Senate Appropriations committees to present testimony and the Administration's position on legislation before those committees. The basis of both the testimony and the Administration's position is the Finance bill analysis after it has been approved by the Governor's Office Legislative Unit. On bills that would affect them, departments may join Finance in this testimony to augment or reinforce the view expressed by Finance.

In the Budget committees, which deal almost exclusively with the Budget Bill, Finance staff play the essential role of presenting and defending the Governor’s Budget in hearings of the subcommittees which review different components of the Budget Bill. Departments under the control of the Governor join Finance in this function by elaborating on the justification for decisions reflected in the Governor’s Budget.