Appropriates $8,582,000 to the Legislative Branch for fiscal year 2017; reappropriates any unexpended and unencumbered balances in the Professional Services Fund; and exempts the appropriation from object transfer limitations.

This is the FY 2017 appropriation to the Legislative Branch which includes the Legislative Services Office which reports to the Legislative Council and the Office of Performance Evaluations which reports to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee. Both offices received funding for the increased cost of benefits, replacement funding for computer equipment and software, adjustments for statewide cost allocation, and funding for a 3% change in employee compensation. Both agencies received funding for employee retention that will support promoting and compensating entry and mid-level professional staff so that the offices may be more competitive with other state employers. Both agencies received unlimited authority to transfer spending authority between expense classes and carryover from FY 2016 into FY 2017 for the Professional Services Fund. The Legislative Services Office received a total appropriation of $7,692,800 and the Office of Performance Evaluations received a total appropriation of $889,200, for a total of $8,582,000 or 7.4% increase.