§ 4-5.05 SERVICES AND CLIENTS

a. CHANGED COST FACTORS: No state agency, or its governing body, shall alter factors (e.g., qualification level for receipt of payment or service) which may increase the number of eligible recipients for its authorized services or payments, or alter factors which may increase the unit cost of benefit payments within its authorized services, except with the prior written approval of the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget.

b. NEW SERVICES:

1. No state agency shall begin any new service that will call for future additional property, plant or equipment or that will require an increase in subsequent general or nongeneral fund operating expenses without first obtaining the authorization of the General Assembly. However, the Governor may in writing authorize new services within the amounts and general purposes of the appropriations authorized by this act.

2. Pursuant to the policies and procedures of the State Council of Higher Education regarding approval of academic programs and the concomitant enrollment, no state institution of higher education shall operate any academic program with funds in this act unless approved by the Council and included in the Executive Budget, or approved by the General Assembly. The Council may grant exemptions to this policy in exceptional circumstances.

3. Reporting on all new services shall be in accordance with § 4-8.00, Reporting Requirements.

c. OFF-CAMPUS SITES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION:

No state institution of higher education shall establish any off-campus site without the prior approval of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. For the colleges of the Virginia Community College System, the State Board for Community Colleges shall be responsible for approving off-campus site offerings. Activities governed by this requirement are those at locations not contiguous to the main campus of the institution where credit or noncredit offerings are provided and for which full-time, part-time, or resident staff are employed unless specific appropriations identifying the additional activities have been made. Planning shall not be initiated for any new campus nor any operations begin at a new campus without first referring the matter to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for information, consideration, and recommendation to the Governor and General Assembly and without subsequent prior approval of the General Assembly.

d. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT DATA:

The Department of Planning and Budget and the staffs of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee shall continue their efforts to develop and refine the Commonwealth's Performance Budget Process. The Department is directed to continue its efforts to integrate the use of agency and institution strategic plans and performance measurement information with budget development and budget decision making. The Department is further directed to coordinate the development of strategic plans and performance measures for agencies in the Executive Department and to prescribe guidelines and criteria for that purpose.