A legislative perspective on program budgeting for public health in Georgia

Although the public health community has developed several typologies for classifying public health services into programmatic categories, to date little attention has been paid to the legislative perspective on these program designations. Using programs in the state of Georgia's public health budget as a case study, this article describes the considerations that were important to legislators and legislative budget staff when assessing the Georgia Division of Public Health's program structure. The case study illustrates how legislative concerns over accountability and control as well as practical, political, and strategic choices influence the program structure. These different considerations led to a structure that differed from the Ten Essential Services as well as the National Association of State Budget Officers program categories.