Bill Text: NJ A3216 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" to recommend measures for efficiency and cost reduction in State government.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-22 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A3216 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A3216-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman GAIL PHOEBUS
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" to recommend measures for efficiency and cost reduction in State government.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" to recommend measures for efficiency and cost reduction in State government.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares:
a. The cost of State government operations in New Jersey continues to increase in every fiscal year, eroding the State's ability to create and maintain a strong financial footing; and
b. In these difficult economic times, when the residents of this State carry a significant tax burden, the State must find creative ways to reduce the cost of running State government and increase the efficiency of its operations without further burdening the taxpayers of this State; and
c. In the process of identifying concrete, specific measures that would yield significant cost reductions and increases in efficiency, it is necessary to thoroughly and deliberately evaluate the operations of each State government department, to view these operations through a private-sector perspective, and to include the input of experienced State government employees and experts; and
d. A commission composed of successful private-sector members and the State Comptroller, directed to conduct such thorough evaluation of State government operations while soliciting the advice of experienced State government employees and experts, would greatly inform the Legislature and the Governor on how to reduce costs and increase State government efficiency for the benefit of this State without an increase in taxes.
2. There is hereby established the "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control."
a. The commission shall consist of 21 voting members. Twenty members shall be residents of this State who are active or retired employees of private-sector companies, who through their performance in the private sector have demonstrated an exceptional ability to conduct business operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner. One member shall be the State Comptroller, ex officio, or a designee. Of the private-sector members of the commission, 12 shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, within 60 days following the effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), and not more than six of these members shall be of the same political party. Eight of the private-sector members shall be appointed by the legislative leadership, as follows: two members shall be appointed by the Senate President, two members shall be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and two members shall be appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader.
b. If the Governor fails to appoint the 12 private-sector members of the commission designated for his appointment within 60 days following the effective date of this act, these members shall be appointed by the legislative leadership, as follows: three members shall be appointed by the Senate President, three members shall be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and three members shall be appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader.
c. The members shall serve until the commission submits its final report to the Governor and the Legislature. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
3. The "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members and shall select a chair and a treasurer from among its members, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The presence of 11 members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on recommendations when a quorum is present. The commission may incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary, within the limits of funds made available to it for its purposes. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties, except that no public funds shall be allocated or appropriated to the commission. To cover the expenses actually incurred by the commission in the performance of its official duties the commission shall have the power to accept contributions from the private sector and from members of the general public, and to apply for and receive private foundation grants. The commission may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates throughout the State during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.
4. The "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" shall be staffed by volunteers who shall be private company employees and members of the general public who reside in this State. The commission shall widely distribute an announcement calling for volunteers to the public and to private companies located in this State or that employ New Jersey residents. The announcement shall solicit resumes from interested persons as part of the volunteer search process. The commission shall select volunteers based on each candidate's possession of sufficient and relevant experience and skills necessary for the work of the commission. In addition, the commission shall be entitled to and avail itself of the assistance and services of the staff of the Office of the State Comptroller, and of the employees of any other State department, board, bureau, commission, or agency, as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
5. It shall be the duty of the "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" to identify ways to improve efficiency in State government operations and to recommend concrete measures that would result in significant cost reductions and savings to the State.
a. In performing this duty, the commission shall:
(1) Establish a sufficient number of commission task forces, to be directed by at least one member of the commission and staffed by the commission's volunteers. Each task force shall evaluate the operations of one Executive Branch department in this State and determine ways in which the operations of each department can be improved by the adoption of various efficiency and cost reduction measures.
(2) Solicit input, ideas and recommendations from current and retired State government employees about how State government could improve efficiency and reduce costs. For this purpose, the commission shall establish an Internet site, and shall utilize the county-based 211 telephone system.
(3) Hear testimony and solicit recommendations from experts and professionals who could significantly contribute to the commission's work.
(4) Undertake any other activities that would aid the commission in the performance of its tasks and the fulfillment of its duties.
b. The commission's recommendations shall seek to accomplish an improvement in the efficiency of State government operations and a reduction in the cost of these operations without necessitating an increase in any taxes.
6. The "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" shall issue an interim report of its progress to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 12 months following the initial appointment of its members, and shall submit its final report and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 24 months following the appointment of all of its initial members. Both the interim and the final report shall be submitted in accordance with the provisions of section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The commission shall expire upon issuance of its final report.
7. This act shall take
effect immediately, and shall expire upon the commission's issuance of its
final report and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" to recommend measures for efficiency and cost reduction in State government operations.
The commission would consist of 21 voting members. Twenty of its members would be residents of this State who are active or retired employees of private-sector companies and who through their performance in the private sector have demonstrated an exceptional ability to conduct business operations in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Eight of the private-sector members would be appointed by the legislative leadership of each party, and 12 would be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, but the bill provides for the legislative leadership of each party to appoint these members if the Governor does not make the appointments within 60 days following enactment. One member of the commission would be the State Comptroller, ex officio, or a designee.
Under the bill, the commission would carry out its duty by establishing several task forces. Each task force would be chaired by at least one commission member, and each would evaluate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the operations of a specific State government department. The commission would be staffed by volunteers from private-sector companies and members of the public who are New Jersey residents, but would be entitled to avail itself of the staff and services of the Office of the State Comptroller and other State agencies, as appropriate. The bill requires the commission to also solicit input, ideas, and recommendations from current and retired State government workers, through a website and through the county-based 211 telephone system, on how to achieve greater efficiency and cost reduction in State government. The commission would also listen to testimony and receive input from experts and professionals who could significantly contribute to the work of the commission.
The members of the commission would serve without compensation and, in contrast to other commissions that may be funded through government funds, the bill requires that the work of "New Jersey Commission on Government Efficiency and Cost Control" will not be funded by government or taxpayer dollars. The bill authorizes the commission to receive contributions from the private sector, the general public, and private foundation grants to cover the reasonable costs that may be incurred by the commission in the performance of its official duties.
The commission would issue an interim report within 12 months following initial appointment of its members, and a final report within 24 months of enactment of its enabling legislation. The commission, and its enabling legislation, would expire upon issuance of its final report to the Governor and the Legislature.
