2003 Yellow Book
Overview Agency Summaries Agency Details

Statistical and Narrative Summary
of the
Executive Budget

Fiscal Year
April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004
State of New York

Seal


Prepared by
Assembly Ways and Means Committee
New York State Legislature

 
SHELDON SILVER
SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY

 
HERMAN D. FARRELL, JR.
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

February 2003


Seal
THE ASSEMBLY
STATE OF NEW YORK
ALBANY

HERMAN D. FARRELL, JR.
Assembly Member 71st District

Room 923
Legislative Office Building
Albany, New York 12248
(518)455-5491
(518)455-5776 FAX


CHAIRMAN
Ways and Means Committee

COMMITTEES
Rules
Black & Puerto Rican Caucus


February 3, 2003

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to provide you with the Statistical and Narrative Summary of the Executive Budget for the upcoming State Fiscal Year, April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004. The "Yellow Book" is intended to provide the Members of the Committee, the Members of the Assembly, and the public with an overview of the fiscal and policy proposals made by the Governor in the bills submitted as his Executive Budget on January 29, 2003.

The "Yellow Book" marks the beginning of the Legislature's public review of the Governor's proposed budget. It is the Assembly's preliminary response to the budget, as required by Section 53 of the Legislative Law. Joint legislative fiscal committee hearings on the budget proposal begin our efforts to ensure public accessibility and accountability. This year, these hearings commence on February 3, 2003 and conclude on March 4, 2003.

Section One, Overview of Executive Budget, provides an executive summary of the Governor's proposal for State Fiscal Year 2003-04, including analysis intended to place the proposed financial plan and spending in major programmatic areas in perspective.

Section Two, Summary of Recommended Appropriations by Agency, provides an overview of current appropriations and recommendations for the 2003-04 State Fiscal Year for each agency, a presentation of the proposed changes in each agency's budgeted personnel level, and a description of the programmatic and statutory modifications proposed in Article VII legislation included with the Executive Budget submission. Section Two has been redesigned to reflect the structure of the Executive Budget appropriation bills. Agencies are now presented in Section Two in alphabetical order within the appropriation bills in which they appear in the Governor's proposed budget.

A new Section Three, Detail of Appropriations and Personnel by Agency, has been added to this document to provide a breakdown of the agency summary tables contained in Section Two. The agency tables in Section Three are presented in the same order as the agencies appear in Section Two.

Speaker Silver and I know that you share our goal of producing a budget that is fair and equitable -- a budget that is not balanced to the detriment of our children, our working families, or our elderly and disabled. Despite the bleak fiscal conditions we are faced with, we must not compromise the values we hold dear by jeopardizing the future of our children and our State with short-sighted, wrong choices. We must ensure the future by providing our children with a sound fundamental education, our families with access to health care and employment opportunities, and our elderly with the services they need to enable them to age with dignity.

As the Legislature begins its work on the State Fiscal Year 2003-04 Budget, I would like to express appreciation to my Assembly colleagues for the time and commitment you will dedicate to the budget process. I would also like to convey to the Ways and Means Committee staff my gratitude for their outstanding efforts to produce this document in an even more compressed time period than in previous years.

Sincerely,

HERMAN D. FARRELL, JR.



STATISTICAL AND NARRATIVE SUMMARY

OF THE

EXECUTIVE BUDGET

FISCAL YEAR APRIL 1, 2003 TO MARCH 31, 2004

February 2003

Herman D. Farrell, Jr.
Chairman

Assembly Ways and Means Committee

 
 
Prepared by the
Assembly Ways and Means Committee Staff

 
 
Dean A. Fuleihan
Secretary to the Committee

 
Roman B. Hedges
Deputy Secretary
Kristin M. Proud
Deputy Secretary

Patricia Warrington
Director of Budget Studies
Steven A. Pleydle
Director of Tax and Fiscal Studies

Edward M. Cupoli
Chief Economist/Director of Research

This Statistical and Narrative Summary analyzes all of the budget bills submitted by the Governor, both multiple appropriation bills and the non-appropriation bills. Many provisions within the submitted appropriation bills would amend or circumvent existing state law. There is a substantial body of case law concerning the unconstitutionality of the inclusion of such provisions in multiple appropriation bills. Our analysis of such provisions without specific and repeated comment as to their constitutionality does not indicate acquiescence by the Ways and Means Committee or the Assembly that such provisions or the submission itself is constitutional.

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