HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.gao/gaobadxsq0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
DOCUMENT RESUME
00226 - rA10518441
Sunset Act of 1977, S. 2. March 28# 1977. 12 pf.
Testimcny before the Senate Committee on Governmental ffairs:
Intergovernmental Relaticas Subcommittee; by Elver B. Staats,
Comptroller General.
Issue area: Program Evaluation Systems: New Techniques and
Standar.is (2602); Program Evaluation Systems: Infcrmation
for Corgress and the Public (2603).
contact: 04:Lice of the Comptroller General.
Budget Fu- ;tion: General Government: Legislative Functions
(801).
Congressional i'itlevance: Senate Couittee on Governmental
Affairs: Intergoverns6ntal Relations Subcommittee.
Authority: Sunset Act of 1977; S. 2 [95th Cong.]. Congressional
Budget act of 197PA, title VIII. Legislative Reorganization
Act of 1970, sec. 1.8. S. 2925 [92nd Cong.].
The central objective of S. 2, Sunset Act of 1977, is
to assure effecive and systematiQ reevaluation of Federal
po.icy and programs. It its rev.ev process, Congre.1 could
possibly consider related programs in groups tath,,r than
individually. In this way, comv ittoes coulJ report zerults of
their program reviews ia packajes, with a single report covering
all the prvjvams in that Package. For greatest effect3veness,
the review packaje should cover the full range of programs
having closeli' related objectives. The coverage of the prcgram
review process should bi as near to universal as possible,
including coveraqe of oft budget programs. Congress should
estatlish a flexible review schedule which provides for the
evaluation of both short term and long term program objectives.
Congress should consider alternative scheduling processes, such
as establishing and modifying tne schedule in the annual budget
rasolution, to facilitate coordination and adjustments in the
schedule. Congress must also decide what me~sre of flexibility
with regard to the scope and conduct of individual program
reviews is appropriate. In addition, Congress should give
serious consideration to providing for some sort of monitoring
of the effectiveness of the sunset evaluation process itself. A
forthcoming General Accounting Office report will out)iae a
proposed process of oversight planning that could be used by
Congressional comittees to help to insure that tae evaluations
performed aro both feasible and acceptable. The sunset process
should be carefully integrated witb the existing congressional
bu get process to insure that the budget process is not
disrupted. (LDH)](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobadxsq0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)