What Continuation Reviews Are

Continuation Reviews are program evaluations conducted by State agencies at the direction of the General Assembly.  The General Assembly created this oversight program with the 2007 Appropriations Act (S.L. 2007-323, Section 6.21).  In this legislation, the General Assembly eliminated recurring funding for eight programs, funding them on a nonrecurring basis for FY 2007-08 only.  Continued funding depended on whether agencies could make a compelling case to continue the programs.

To help the General Assembly determine whether to continue funding the eight programs, the legislation directed agencies to provide written reports to the appropriations committees in accordance with certain specified requirements.  The continuation review process helps the appropriations committees determine whether to increase, continue, reduce, or eliminate funding for the selected programs. 

How Continuation Reviews Are Evaluated by the General Assembly

Roles of Subcommittees 

Agencies present their continuation review reports to the appropriation subcommittees responsible for budgetary oversight of the programs.  Fiscal analysts assigned to these subcommittees perform the following functions with respect to the continuation review process:

• Meet with agencies to explain the purpose of the CR program and to clarify the particular issues that agencies should address in their reports.
• Keep subcommittees apprised of agencies’ progress on reports.
• Distribute copies of reports to committees and coordinate agency presentations.
• Brief appropriations committees and subcommittees on issues related to reports that require legislative attention or action.
• Assist subcommittees in evaluating the quality of CR reports.
  

Legislative Action

Funding decisions on programs under continuation review are made as part of the appropriations process.  For each legislative chamber, appropriations subcommittees make recommendations based on the continuation reviews.  These recommendations are subject to approval by the full appropriations committees, the full bodies of the respective chambers of each appropriations committee (House or Senate), and ultimately the conference committee that reconciles budgetary differences between the two chambers.

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