2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 47 - Taxation, Licensing, Permits, Assessments, and Fees. [Enacted title] › Chapter 3 - Budget and Financial Management; Borrowing; Deposit of Funds › Subchapter VII - Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance › Part B - Establishment and Enforcement of Financial Plan and Budget for District Government › § 47–392.01. Development of financial plan and budget for District of Columbia

§ 47–392.01. Development of financial plan and budget for District of Columbia.
(a) Development of financial plan and budget. — For each fiscal year for which the District government is in a control period, the Mayor shall develop and submit to the Authority a financial plan and budget for the District of Columbia in accordance with this section.
(b) Contents of financial plan and budget. — A financial plan and budget for the District of Columbia for a fiscal year shall specify the budgets for the District government under part D of title IV of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act [§§ 1-204.41 through 1-204.56e] for the applicable fiscal year and the next 3 fiscal years (including the projected revenues and expenditures of each fund of the District government for such years), in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) The financial plan and budget shall meet the standards described in subsection (c) of this section to promote the financial stability of the District government.
(2) The financial plan and budget shall provide for estimates of revenues and expenditures on a modified accrual basis.
(3) The financial plan and budget shall:
(A) Describe lump sum expenditures by department by object class;
(B) Describe capital expenditures (together with a schedule of projected capital commitments of the District government and proposed sources of funding);
(C) Contain estimates of short-term and long-term debt (both outstanding and anticipated to be issued); and
(D) Contain cash flow forecasts for each fund of the District government at such intervals as the Authority may require.
(4) The financial plan and budget shall include a statement describing methods of estimations and significant assumptions.
(5) The financial plan and budget shall include any other provisions and shall meet such other criteria as the Authority considers appropriate to meet the purposes of this Act, including provisions for changes in personnel policies and levels for each department or agency of the District government, changes in the structure and organization of the District government, and management initiatives to promote productivity, improvement in the delivery of services, or cost savings.
(c) Standards to promote financial stability described. —
(1) In general. — The standards to promote the financial stability of the District government applicable to the financial plan and budget for a fiscal year are as follows:
(A) In the case of the financial plan and budget for fiscal year 1996, the expenditures of the District government for each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 1998) may not exceed the revenues of the District government for each such fiscal year.
(B) During fiscal years 1996 and 1997, the District government shall make continuous, substantial progress towards equalizing the expenditures and revenues of the District government for such fiscal years (in equal annual installments to the greatest extent possible).
(C) The District government shall provide for the orderly liquidation of the cumulative fund balance deficit of the District government, as evidenced by financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(D) If funds in accounts of the District government which are dedicated for specific purposes have been withdrawn from such accounts for other purposes, the District government shall fully restore the funds to such accounts.
(E) The financial plan and budget shall assure the continuing long-term financial stability of the District government, as indicated by factors including access to short-term and long-term capital markets, the efficient management of the District government’s workforce, and the effective provision of services by the District government.
(2) Application of sound budgetary practices. — In meeting the standards described in paragraph (1) of this subsection with respect to a financial plan and budget for a fiscal year, the District government shall apply sound budgetary practices, including reducing costs and other expenditures, improving productivity, increasing revenues, or combinations of such practices.
(3) Assumptions based on current law. — In meeting the standards described in paragraph (1) of this subsection with respect to a financial plan and budget for a fiscal year, the District government shall base estimates of revenues and expenditures on Federal law as in effect at the time of the preparation of the financial plan and budget.
(Apr. 17, 1995, 109 Stat. 108, Pub. L. 104-8, § 201; enacted, Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-254, § 2, 44 DCR 1575; Aug. 5, 1997, 111 Stat. 779, Pub. L. 105-33, § 11602(a).)
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 47-392.1.
Section References
This section is referenced in § 2-352.02, § 38-1801.01, § 47-392.02, § 47-392.22, and § 47-393.
Cross References
Budget and financial management, control years, forwarding budgets consistent with financial plan and budget established under this chapter, see § 1-206.03.
D.C. charter schools, long-term reform plan, see § 38-1801.01.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 day) multiyear budget plans for specific programs, see §§ 4002 to 4007 of Fiscal Year 2002 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-124, August 3, 2001, 48 DCR 7861).
References in Text
“This Act,” referred to in subsection (b)(5), is the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995, approved April 17, 1995, 109 Stat. 97, Pub. L. 104-8.
Editor's Notes
Sections 4402 to 4407 of D.C. Law 14-28 provided:
“Sec. 4402. No later than September 30, 2001, the following agencies and agencies responsible for the following programs, shall submit to the Council of the District of Columbia and to the Chief Financial Officer a multiyear financial plan as required by this title:
“(1) Risk Management programs administered by the Mayor;
“(2) Department of Mental Health; and
“(3) Settlements and Judgments Fund administered by the Corporation Counsel.
“Sec. 4403. The multiyear financial plan required by this title shall detail the projected cost of services for that agency or program for fiscal years 2002 through 2005, and shall be based on a performance plan for the same fiscal years. The multiyear financial plan shall specify reasonable assumptions for inflation, personal service levels, and wage increases, and identify all budgetary assumptions being used. The multiyear financial plan shall calculate and specify the cost per fiscal year to achieve the objectives and goals set forth in the performance plan.
“Sec. 4404. (a) For the purposes of this title, ‘performance plan’ is a detailed statement that includes:
“(1) A mission statement—a broad statement of central purpose;
“(2) Objectives—less broad statements of desired outcomes resulting from accomplishing the mission; and
“(3) Goals—target levels of performance expressed in tangible, measurable terms, against which actual achievement of objectives can be compared; a goal may be expressed as a population target, or as a quantitative standard, value, or rate.
“(b) The performance plan shall describe the strategy for how the mission (including its objectives and goals) will be accomplished. This description of strategy shall include all of the functions, activities, operations, and projects required for effective implementation of the performance plan. There shall be one or more measures of performance, that address both quantity and quality, for each goal. The performance plan shall state measurable or objective performance goals and objectives for all significant activities of the agency or program. The plan shall identify(describe and quantify) the classes of persons to be served and how(qualitatively and quantitatively) those classes will change as a result of the mission, objectives, and goals.
“(c) The performance plan shall also provide national norms, industry standards, typical benchmarks, performance measures from other cities, or other relevant comparative data.
“(d) An agency which prepared a performance plan pursuant to Title XLIV of the Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Support Act of 2000, effective October 19, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-172; 47 DCR 6308), in the previous fiscal year shall also provide an analysis of the agency’s performance vis-à-vis its performance plan.
“Sec. 4405. The multiyear financial plan shall include all funds, including local and federal funds.
“Sec. 4406. For each of the agencies specified in section 4402, the performance plan shall detail how the agency or program will provide improved service delivery that:
“(1) Fulfills its mission (including objectives and goals);
“(2) Reduces expenditures, especially from local funds; and
“(3) Creates operational efficiencies to accomplish this.
“Sec. 4407. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the authority to require greater specificity in the multiyear plan prior to submission, and to work with agencies to improve their submission.”