Consensus estimating conferences; general provisions.

(1) Each consensus estimating conference shall develop such official information within its area of responsibility as the conference determines, by consensus, is needed for purposes of the state planning and budgeting system. Unless otherwise provided by law or decided by unanimous agreement of the principals of the conference, all official information developed by the conference shall be based on the assumption that current law and current administrative practices will remain in effect throughout the period for which the official information is to be used. The official information developed by each consensus estimating conference shall include forecasts for a period of at least 10 years, unless the principals of the conference unanimously agree otherwise.

(2) Whenever an estimating conference is convened, an official estimate does not exist until a new consensus is reached.

(3) The official information developed by the Economic Estimating Conference and the official information developed by the Demographic Estimating Conference shall be used by all other consensus estimating conferences in developing their official information.

(4) Consensus estimating conferences are within the legislative branch. The membership of each consensus estimating conference consists of principals and participants.

(a) A person designated by law as a principal may preside over conference sessions, convene conference sessions, request information, specify topics to be included on the conference agenda, agree or withhold agreement on whether information is to be official information of the conference, release official information of the conference, interpret official information of the conference, and monitor errors in official information of the conference. The responsibility of presiding over sessions of the conference shall be rotated among the principals.

(b) A participant is any person who is invited to participate in the consensus estimating conference by a principal. A participant shall, at the request of any principal before or during any session of the conference, develop alternative forecasts, collect and supply data, perform analyses, or provide other information needed by the conference. The conference shall consider information provided by participants in developing its official information.

(c) The principals of each conference shall be professional staff of the Executive Office of the Governor designated by the Governor, the coordinator of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, professional staff of the Senate designated by the President of the Senate, and professional staff of the House of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The coordinator of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research may designate other professional staff within that office to act as principals on the conferences.

(5) All sessions and meetings of a consensus estimating conference shall be open to the public. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, jointly, shall be the sole judge for the interpretation, implementation, and enforcement of this subsection.