FISCAL NOTE TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 386

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: SEPTEMBER 9, 1996

      Assembly Bill No.386 of 1996 establishes the Office of Child Advocacy (OCA) in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury. OCA would:

∙    Serve as the Governor's chief advocate for child development and education;

∙    Assist the Governor in identifying child development and education funding priorities, including preventive services for children and youth;

∙    Aid the Governor in proposing methods of achieving increased coordination and collaboration among State agencies to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of services to children and youth; and

∙    Report to the Governor and the Legislature on recommendations that will further the State's ability to secure, preserve and promote the health, safety and welfare of the State's children and youth.

      Department Comments:

      The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have estimated that the gross cost of OCA would be $626,000, $626,000 and $654,000, respectively, in each of the next three fiscal years, primarily associated with the cost of 13 professional and clerical staff.

      Office of Legislative Services Comments:

      The estimates of Treasury and OMB as to the cost of OCA appear reasonable, despite the absence of workload data. More accurate costs associated with the OCA will only be known once OCA is operational. Treasury's and OMB's estimates do not consider savings that can be achieved by reducing or eliminating grant funding to non-profit agencies for services that are similar or identical to those that OCA would provide. Reducing or eliminating such duplicative grants would reduce overall costs associated with OCA.

This fiscal note has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.