(1) Any person may request or suggest a program evaluation of an agency by contacting any member of the Legislature. Such requests or suggestions may then be referred by the legislator to the chairperson of the committee on a referral form prescribed by the committee. Suggestions for program evaluations may also be forwarded directly to the chairperson by the Governor or any other duly elected executive officer of the State of Nebraska, by any legislator acting on his or her own initiative, by the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, or by the Director of Research of the Legislature.
(2) When considering a request for a program evaluation, the committee or the chairperson of the committee may determine that the request has potential merit but that insufficient data is available. In such instances, the committee, by majority vote, or the chairperson may instruct the unit director to conduct a preevaluation inquiry. A preevaluation inquiry shall be conducted only for the purpose of obtaining sufficient information to apply the screening criteria prescribed in section 50-1207.
(3) When a preevaluation inquiry is conducted, the committee or chairperson of the committee shall instruct the unit director to prepare, for the committee's or the chairperson's approval, a brief written statement clearly identifying what additional information is needed to allow the committee to apply the program evaluation screening criteria. The unit staff shall strictly limit its investigation to the items contained in the written statement. The committee or chairperson shall make every reasonable effort to complete any preevaluation inquiry within sixty calendar days after receipt of the request for a program evaluation.
(4) Once a preevaluation inquiry has been completed, the chairperson of the committee shall place the request on the agenda for the committee's next regularly scheduled meeting and shall notify the request sponsor of that action.