Opinion ID: 2390138
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Letter from the Office of Legislative Services in Response to the Opinion Letter of the Attorney General

Text: On August 7, 1992, the Executive Director of the Office of Legislative Services, Albert Porroni, issued a letter to the Senate President and General Assembly Speaker in which he disagreed with the Attorney General's opinion letter of July 2, 1992. According to Porroni, In times of economic distress, such as result in the revenue shortfalls expected by this State in the prior and current fiscal years, the Legislature may determine that sufficient funds are not available to fully fund all programs or projects. Policy determinations must be made. The Legislature may choose not to fund programs at all, to partially fund programs or to establish priorities within programs. See City of Camden v. Byrne, 82 N.J. 133 [411 A. 2d 462] (1980). Contrary to the conclusion of the Attorney General, such determinations and priorities are for the Legislature, not the Executive Branch, to make. Once the Legislature establishes its priorities, the Executive Branch must administer existing programs within the limits of those priorities. Because the Legislature viewed its establishment of restrictions as a constitutional act in furtherance of its appropriations powers, Porroni concluded that we are of the opinion that the Legislature, by law, may direct certain administrative aspects of the State Government[,] especially those rationally related to an appropriation or fiscal policy.