House Bill Analysis

HB 2793

Title: AN ACT Relating to the citizens' alliance for government accountability.

Brief Description: Creating a citizen's alliance for government accountability.

Sponsor: Miloscia, Schmidt.

Brief Summary

CCreates the citizens= alliance for government accountability to make recommendations on increasing and improving state government efficiency, effectiveness, organization, operations, and accountability and to achieve cost savings.

House State Government Committee

Staff: Steve Lundin  (786-7127)

Background:

A number of programs have been instituted to improve government efficiency and accountability.

The governor issued Executive Order 97-03 in 1997 requiring all state agencies to develop and implement programs to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of public services they provide using quality improvement, business process redesign, employee involvement, and other quality improvement techniques.

The governor issued Executive Order 97-02 in 1997 establishing a rules review process for state agencies to periodically review their rules to determine if the rules should be retained, modified, or repealed.

The productivity board was established to administer the employee suggestion program and the teamwork incentive program.  State agencies are authorized to make employee recognition awards.

The joint legislative audit and review committee conducts performance audits.  The state auditor conducts performance audits if the legislature appropriates moneys for specific performance audits in the state budget.

Summary Of Original Bill:

The citizens= alliance for government accountability is established as a panel composed of 19 members to make reports and recommendations to increase and improve state government efficiency, effectiveness, organization, operations, and accountability and to achieve cost savings.

The alliance is composed of: (a) The governor, or governor=s designee, who chairs the alliance; (b) state auditor, or auditor=s designee; (c) two members of the house and two members of the senate; (d) a private sector chief executive who is appointed by the governor; and (e) 13 other members who are appointed by joint action of the governor, state auditor, and the corporate chief executive officer, to reflect the state=s economic, social, ethnic, and political diversity.  Administrative costs and staff support are provided by the Office of Financial Management, with full cooperation of other executive agencies and legislative agencies.  Members do not receive compensation, but have their travel expenses reimbursed.

The citizens= alliance for government accountability account is created in the custody of the state treasurer to finance the activities of the alliance.  Expenditures must be authorized by the director of financial management.  Moneys in the account are not subject to appropriation or allotment procedures.  Two hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2001, from the state general fund to this account.  The alliance may solicit charitable gifts, grants, and donations that are placed into this account.

The alliance presents the governor and legislature with a strategic work plan by December 31, 2000, to accomplish its purposes and includes at least three reports making recommendations.  The alliance must submit more detailed reports and recommendations on August 15, 2001, and each August 15^th thereafter.  The alliance convenes summit conferences as needed throughout the state to solicit participation by state employees, management experts, and the general citizenry.  The alliance benchmarks the best practices of government at all levels in organizing, managing, and conducting annual, independent reviews, and considers the work performed by the legislative auditor, state auditor, and executive branch staff.

The alliance terminates on December 31, 2003.

Rule Making Authority: No express authority.

Appropriation: $200,000.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Bill:  The bill takes effect immediately.

PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE BY PRIME SPONSOR

The proposed substitute is similar to the original bill, but:

CThe citizens= alliance for government accountability is only composed of six members as follows: (a) The governor, or governor=s designee; (b) the state auditor, or auditor=s designee; and (c) four citizen members, one of whom is appointed by the leader of each of the two major party caucuses in each house.   One of the citizen members is chosen as the chair of the alliance.

CThe alliance may appoint task forces as needed that reflects the state=s economic, social, ethnic, and political diversity, including private sector, for-profit, corporate chief executive officers, state employees, labor organization representatives, management experts, local government managers and administrators, and the general citizenry.

CThe alliance's reporting requirements are altered somewhat to no longer require three recommendations in its strategic work plan and to remove the date by which annual recommendations must be made.

CThe requirement is removed that the alliance establish benchmarks of the best practices.

CRather than terminating the alliance on December 31, 2003, the alliance is put into the sunset process for termination on June 30, 2008.