Tax Policy Analysis by the Legislative Branch

Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy. Section 1 of the bill makes the following changes to the state auditor's procedures for evaluating state tax expenditures:

• Requires evaluation reports to be delivered and posted on June 30 instead of September 15;
• Requires the state auditor to evaluate new tax expenditures in accordance with the state auditor's schedule;
• Allows the state auditor to use discretion in reevaluting tax expenditures if there have been substantial changes to the tax expenditure;
• Eliminates the evaluation requirement for tax expenditures that are on the state auditor's schedule for evaluation but have been repealed or will repeal within one year of the evaluation;
• For tax expenditures that are in effect for 3 years or less, requires the state auditor to make the auditor's best effort to prepare the evaluation report using the best available data; and
• Allows the state auditor to modify the schedule for evaluating tax expenditures in consideration of timing for when sufficient data may be available to evaluate the tax expenditure.

Section 2 requires the state auditor to annually study and evaluate federal tax law, including changes, that may have significant impact on the state's tax base and prepare a report with the state auditor's findings by June 30, 2025, and by June 30 of each year thereafter. Section 3 requires the legislative oversight committee concerning tax policy (committee) to consider the policy considerations set forth in the state auditor's report concerning a review of federal tax law, including changes, that may have a significant impact on the state's tax base, in addition to the policy considerations set forth in the state auditor's tax expenditure evaluations. The committee may request that the state auditor evaluate specific tax expenditures for the next year's evaluation report notwithstanding when the tax expenditure might otherwise be evaluated according to the state auditor's schedule. The committee may additionally request the state auditor to perform specific and discrete research and analysis tasks. Section 4 requires that the office of the state auditor present to the task force concerning tax policy (task force) its tax expenditure evaluation reports and annual report concerning federal tax law, including changes, that have significant impact on the state's tax base upon request by the task force. Section 5 extends the committee and the task force until December 31, 2031.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)