WHEREAS, a successful representative government must operate with the full support of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, there is a paramount need for all of the actions of the government to be transparent in order for its citizens to maintain the highest level of trust; and

WHEREAS, in addition, there is a need for citizens to be able to observe and review all legislative actions of government in order to be informed partners in government; and

WHEREAS, no action of the government has more effect on the people than budget decisions; and

WHEREAS, currently the biennial budget, which is the single largest individual legislation considered by the General Assembly, is extremely difficult for the ordinary citizen to understand or review; and

WHEREAS, citizens should be able to easily access the details on how the state is spending their tax dollars and what performance results are achieved for those expenditures; and

WHEREAS, to that end, the staff of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance should create and maintain a searchable budget database website detailing where, for what purpose, and what results are achieved for all taxpayer investments in state government; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly recognize the need for the staff of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance to establish a searchable budget database website detailing where, for what purpose, and what results are achieved for all taxpayer investments in state government.

 [KP1]Format should be changed from bill to House Joint Resolution