HI HR101

Requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a study on the feasibility of allocating funding for capital improvement projects through participatory budgeting processes.

Participatory budgeting is a democratic process where community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget through brainstorming, proposal development, voting, and implementation of top proposals.

Cites examples of participatory budgeting implementation globally, including New York City which distributed over $32,000,000 in public funds through this process.

Study results must be submitted to the Legislature and Governor no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2017 Regular Session.

Notes that participatory budgeting has been shown to increase citizen participation, reform bureaucratic systems, and rebalance resource distribution to low-income communities.