HARTFORD — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and State Representative Tammy Nuccio, Ranking Member of the Appropriations Committee, are calling on the committee’s chairs to immediately reinstate the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) subcommittee, citing serious concerns over transparency, oversight, and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

The RBA subcommittee, which once provided an added layer of budget scrutiny in Connecticut, was renamed and ultimately eliminated by committee leadership in 2023. Earlier this month, Reps. Candelora and Nuccio formally urged the Appropriations Committee chairs in a letter to restore the subcommittee and its oversight function - particularly in light of recent headlines surrounding an expanding federal criminal investigation into the distribution of state and federal funds to nonprofit organizations and others. To date, the lawmakers have received no response to their request.

"Transparency and accountability in the budget process should never be optional - they're fundamental to responsible governance," Candelora said. "That's especially true this session, when we know the majority party is intent on weakening our state's fiscal controls and spending surplus dollars on more programming instead of returning that money to taxpayers through property tax relief. If Democrats are serious about fiscal responsibility, reinstating this subcommittee is an obvious first step."

Rep. Nuccio said the news coming out of Hartford about the potential abuse of taxpayer dollars underscores the need for stronger oversight mechanisms within the budget process.

The RBA subcommittee had played a critical role in ensuring state funding was transparent and returned measurable results. Agency heads graded program effectiveness, legislators analyzed funding to nonprofits and others, and the public could review agency report cards online. And that's why House Republicans are calling for its return.

“Millions of taxpayer dollars handed out to nonprofits are now under serious scrutiny, and the fact that it took a forensic audit and a federal investigation to uncover these problems should outrage every resident of this state," Rep. Nuccio said. "This didn’t happen by accident, it happened because real oversight was deliberately stripped away. If the Appropriations chairs were serious about accountability, reinstating the Results-Based Accountability subcommittee would be an immediate, concrete step they could take right now. Until that happens, taxpayers are left wondering how many more millions are being spent without basic receipts showing how those dollars are spent."

Rep. Nuccio can be contacted at or (800) 842-1423 with any questions or concerns related to state government. You can also follow her legislative activity by visiting her website, or on Facebook by clicking here.