The director of the budget, or such subordinate officer as the director of the budget shall designate, shall: 1. Be vested with the duties, powers, and responsibilities involved in securing budget estimates and work programs from the several departments and agencies of the state government. 2. Be vested with the duties, powers, and responsibilities involved in the preparation of revenue and fixed expense estimates. 3. Develop financial policies and plans as the basis for budget recommendations to the legislative assembly, and prepare detailed documents in accordance with such financial policies and plans for presentation to the legislative assembly. 4. Coordinate the fiscal affairs and procedures of the state to assure the carrying out of the financial plans and policies approved by the legislative assembly. 5. Exercise continual control over the execution of the budget affecting the departments, institutions, and agencies of the executive branch of the state government involving approval of all commitments for conformity with the program provided in the budget, frequent comparison of actual revenues and budget estimates, and control of the rate of expenditures through a system of semiannual, quarterly, or monthly allotments. 6. Investigate, examine, and make exhaustive studies: a. Of the structure and operation of the entire executive branch of government and of every office, institution, and agency thereof. b. Of all the functions, duties, and services of all executive branch offices, departments, institutions, industries, boards, bureaus, and commissions. c. Of all the books, records, and methods of accounting of each office or agency of the executive branch to ascertain and determine whether their policies, practices, and systems of accounting are sound, necessary, practical, and efficient. 7. Develop a long-term capital improvements budget for consideration by the legislative assembly. 8. Have the authority to procure from the various officers, departments, agencies, and employees such information as may be necessary for the preparation and execution of the budget.
9. Provide such assistance as the legislative assembly may request and be available to assist its appropriations committees with any needed information or material and make its records and information available at all times to the legislative assembly and its committees and designees. 10. Perform all other necessary duties to carry out the provisions of this chapter and of chapter 54-14.
54-44.1-04. Budget estimates of budget units filed with the office of the budget - Deadline. The head of each budget unit, not later than July fifteenth of each year next preceding the session of the legislative assembly, shall submit to the office of the budget, estimates of financial requirements of the person's budget unit for the next two fiscal years, on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the office of the budget, with such explanatory data as is required by the office of the budget and such additional data as the head of the budget unit wishes to submit. The estimates of financial requirements for budget units under the control of the state board of higher education must be made using the same forms, supporting information, and documentation as other budget units. Any request for a new full-time or part-time permanent position included in a budget unit's estimate of its financial requirements for the next two fiscal years must include documentation justifying the need for the position. The documentation must describe the circumstances resulting in the need for the position and identify the number of hours the position will be involved in specific types of activities and the anticipated outcomes of the activities. The estimates so submitted must bear the approval of the board or commission of each budget unit for which a board or commission is constituted. The director of the budget may extend the filing date for any budget unit if the director finds there is some circumstance that makes it advantageous to authorize the extension. If a budget unit has not submitted its estimate of financial requirements by the required date or within a period of extension set by the director of the budget, the director of the budget shall prepare the budget unit's estimate of financial requirements except the estimate may not exceed ninety percent of the budget unit's previous biennial appropriation. The director of the budget or a subordinate officer as the director shall designate shall examine the estimates and shall afford to the heads of budget units reasonable opportunity for explanation in regard thereto and, when requested, shall grant to the heads of budget units a hearing thereon which must be open to the public.