The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a measure creating a legislative office to evaluate agency budgets and programs for lawmakers.

Senate Bill 1 would create the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) within the existing Legislative Service Bureau (LSB). The LSB is a shared office between the House of Representatives and the Senate that currently has limited functions. LOFT would be similar to the federal Government Accountability Office within Congress.

LOFT would employ financial examiners who would routinely audit agency budgets and spending and evaluate the effectiveness of agency programs and services. The office would then provide reports to the House and Senate. LOFT would have an oversight committee made up of an equal number of bipartisan House and Senate members.

All members and the co-chairs of the committee would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

The bill also requires agencies, boards and commissions to turn over to LOFT upon request all records, documents and budgets and make personnel available. LOFT will also have subpoena and investigation authority.

The Legislature appropriated $1.7 million to fund LOFT in the Fiscal Year 2020 budget that just passed.