There is established an office of the Legislature to be known as the Legislative Fiscal Office, hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the 'office,' under the supervision, direction and control of an officer designated as the Director of the Fiscal Office.

The director of the office may equip the office with up-to-date computer capability, obtain the services of experts and consultants in computer technology and develop techniques for the evaluation of budgetary matters.

(a) Every general bill creating, eliminating or affecting in any way, a state or local program, service, function or revenue source and which thereby requires the expenditure of county or municipal funds or thereby decreases or increases revenue collections by any county or municipality shall, before any vote is taken thereon in the Senate or House of Representatives, have endorsed thereon or attached thereto an estimate made by the Director of the Legislative Fiscal Office of the amount of money involved therein, and the anticipated increase in county or municipal spending or the decrease in county or municipal revenue collections under the provisions of the bill. In the event that insufficient data is available to formulate an estimate of the amount of money involved therein, the director shall note such fact on such endorsement or attachment which shall constitute compliance herewith.

(b) The fiscal note provided under this section shall be endorsed on the bill or attached thereto, and may be printed on the calendar of bills on third reading immediately following the title of the bill.

(c) The Director of the Legislative Fiscal Office is authorized to secure information, data, estimates and statistics directly from the employees and officials of the various departments, agencies, institutions, establishments, boards and commissions of the county and municipal governments of the state which is necessary for the director to fulfill the duties and functions imposed upon him by this section. Said employees and officials of all such departments, agencies, institutions, establishments, boards and commissions shall furnish the director any available material which he determines to be necessary in the performance of his duties and functions which are required by this section.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) BUDGET PROCESS. The entire process by which funds are appropriated and expended, including, but not limited to, revenue estimating, legislative budget hearings, appropriations, allotment, and expenditure of funds.

(2) REVENUE SOURCES. Any receipt of funds by the state, including, but not limited to, tax receipts, fee receipts, transfers, interest income, transfers between state agencies or funds, or gifts or grants from other instrumentalities.

(b) In addition to the reporting requirement in Section 36-15-21.1, whenever litigation required to be reported under Section 36-15-21.1 concerns the budget process or any revenue source, the state official who is a party to the litigation shall promptly notify the Chair of the Joint Fiscal Committee and the Director of the Legislative Fiscal Office.

There is hereby created a continuing legislative committee to be known as the Joint Fiscal Committee, whose duty it shall be to supervise the operation of the Legislative Fiscal Office. The committee shall consist of the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, three members of the House Ways and Means Committee selected by the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, three members of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee selected by the Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House, whose terms shall be for the quadrennium for which they were elected to the Legislature and until their successors have been elected and qualified. The Chairman of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee shall serve as chairman of the committee, and the committee shall meet at the call of the chairman or any three members thereof; provided, that the committee shall meet at least once each four months. Members shall be entitled to transportation allowances and to their regular legislative pay and per diem expenses for each day in which they are actually engaged in committee work.

The Director of the Fiscal Office shall be selected and appointed by the Joint Fiscal Committee. The salary of the director shall be fixed by the Joint Fiscal Committee at a per annum gross rate no less than the minimum per annum gross rate established for the State Budget Officer. The director may, at his selection, participate in any retirement system available to state employees. The director may be removed by a majority vote of the Joint Fiscal Committee or by a joint resolution of the House and Senate.

The director shall appoint, without regard to the State Merit System Law, such personnel as may be necessary to carry out the duties and functions of the office. The compensation of such personnel shall be fixed by the director in accordance with that of comparable positions established under the State Merit System pay plan. The director may prescribe the duties and responsibilities of the personnel of the office and delegate to them authority to perform any of the duties, powers and functions imposed on the office or on the director. For purposes of pay and employment benefits, rights and privileges, all personnel of the office shall be treated as if they were employees of the state.

The director is authorized to secure information, data, estimates and statistics directly from the various departments, agencies, institutions and establishments of the executive branch of government and the regulatory agencies and commissions of the state. All such departments, agencies, establishments, institutions, regulatory agencies and commissions shall furnish the director any available material which he determines to be necessary in the performance of his duties and functions. The director is also authorized, upon agreement with the head of any such department, agency, establishment or regulatory agency or commission, to utilize its services, facilities and personnel, with or without reimbursement; and the head of each such department, agency, establishment, institution or regulatory agency or commission is authorized to provide the office such services, facilities and personnel.

In carrying out the duties and functions of the office and for the purposes of coordinating the operations of the office with those of other legislative agencies with a view to utilizing most effectively the information, services and capabilities of all such agencies in carrying out the various responsibilities assigned to each, the director is authorized to obtain information, data, estimates and statistics developed by the Legislative Reference Service and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and, upon agreement with them, to utilize their services, facilities and personnel, with or without reimbursement. The office, however, shall be separate from and independent of the Legislative Reference Service and the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.

It shall be the duty and function of the office to provide to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House and to the Finance and Taxation Committee of the Senate information which will assist such committees in the discharge of all matters within their jurisdictions, including:

(1) Information with respect to the budget, appropriation bills and other bills authorizing or providing budget authority or tax expenditures;

(2) Information with respect to revenues, receipts, estimated future revenues and receipts and changing revenue conditions; and

(3) Such related information as such committees may request.

At the request of any other committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate or any joint committee of the Legislature, the office shall provide to such committee or joint committee any information compiled in carrying out subdivisions (1) and (2) of Section 29-5-7 and, to the extent practicable, such additional information related to the foregoing as may be requested.

At the request of any member of the House or Senate, the office shall provide to such member any information compiled in carrying out subdivisions (1) and (2) of Section 29-5-7 and, to the extent practicable, such additional information related to the foregoing as may be requested.