The 2025-26 Budget: State Departments’ Operational Efficiencies (Control Sections 4.05 and 4.12)

Feb 19, 2025 - What are the anticipated effects on the department ’s ability to fill vacancies going forward? Affected Funding Sources Expenditures from what specific “other funds, ” if any, are expected to be reduced and by how much?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4975

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement

Mar 11, 2025 - Unclear What Programs the Proposal Would Support or How Specifically Funds Would be Used. The administration was unable to provide information about what programs would be part of the campaign or the level of existing resources administering departments currently dedicate for outreach efforts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5015

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - What steps has the administration taken to improve recruitment and retention of tobacco enforcement personnel? What additional steps could be taken? What will happen if CDTFA cannot expand its tobacco enforcement workforce despite its growing responsibilities?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966

The 2025-26 Budget: The California State Payroll System IT Project

Mar 7, 2025 - What criteria will SCO and CalHR use to determine which departments to include in each of the onboarding waves? What feedback will be solicited from departments, the primary vendor, and other project stakeholders to inform this determination?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5011

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

Apr 3, 2025 - We also recommend directing DFPI to report annually for three years beginning on January 10, 2026, on the amount of revenue received from each increased fee and how this compares to what the department projected would be received.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5025

The 2025-26 Budget: Office of Emergency Services—Request for Reappropriation of Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Fund Resources

Feb 24, 2025 - This will ensure the Legislature can make an informed decision about what the goals for the program should be and help it eventually assess whether the program should be maintained on an ongoing basis.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4982

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - Basic information —such as how much was needed to respond to each emergency as well as what equipment and personnel were needed and why —was not provided with the notification. Moreover, CDAA does not require any subsequent update on the actual expenditure of DREOA funds, which further limits legislative oversight.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029

The 2025-26 Budget: Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Reorganization

Feb 25, 2025 - A key question for the Legislature thus is at what point does a bifurcation make an agency become too siloed and impede its ability to engage in cross-departmental and cross-functional work —the rationale for agencies in the first place?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4987

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Mar 18, 2025 - Since these agreements were finalized in 2022 and 2023, and grant milestones are spread out among the five subsequent years, it is still unknown at this point what fraction will ultimately be claimed.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5018

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - Before accounting for discretionary choices, the budget position under the administration ’s estimates is similar to what it was under our November estimates. That is, both of our offices have assessed that the budget is roughly balanced.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951