Bill Text: CT SB00029 | 2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Establishing The Perform Commission And The Perform Review Board.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-12 - Public Hearing 03/17 [SB00029 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2010-SB00029-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Governor's Bill No. 29
February Session, 2010		LCO No. 478
		*00478__________*
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
SEN. MCKINNEY, 28th Dist. REP. CAFERO, 142nd Dist.

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PERFORM COMMISSION AND THE PERFORM REVIEW BOARD.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this section and sections 2 to 5, inclusive, of this act:

(1) "PERFORM Commission" or "commission" means the Plan to Effectively Reorganize the Functions, Operations, Responsibilities and Mission of State Agencies Commission established under this section; and

(2) "PERFORM Review Board" or "board" means the Plan to Effectively Reorganize the Functions, Operations, Responsibilities and Mission of State Agencies Review Board established under section 3 of this act.

(b) There is established the Plan to Effectively Reorganize the Functions, Operations, Responsibilities and Mission of State Agencies Commission or the PERFORM Commission, which shall examine current state government institutions, structures, functions and delivery of services to determine how such institutions, structures, functions and delivery may be realigned to achieve efficiencies, eliminate redundancies and reduce the size and cost of state government in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 2 of this act.

(c) The PERFORM Commission shall consist of the following members:

(1) Three appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives;

(2) Three appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate;

(3) Three appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives;

(4) Three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;

(5) Six appointed by the Governor; and

(6) Six appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

(d) Any member of the PERFORM Commission appointed pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, of subsection (c) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly, provided no more than twelve members of the commission may be members of the General Assembly.

(e) All appointments to the PERFORM Commission shall be made not later than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. The cochairpersons shall schedule the first meeting of the commission, which shall be held not later than forty-five days after the effective date of this section.

(f) There shall be three cochairpersons of the PERFORM Commission. The Governor and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall each appoint one cochairperson and the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate shall jointly appoint one cochairperson.

(g) Administrative support for the PERFORM Commission shall be provided equally by the Office of Policy and Management, the Legislative Commissioners' Office and the legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis and Office of Legislative Research and such support shall include research, drafting, staff and supplies. The commission may accept in-kind contributions from public and private donors to be used in the fulfillment of its duties, with the prior approval of the Office of State Ethics, provided all such in-kind contributions shall be publicly disclosed.

(h) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 14 of the general statutes, the commission may not hold any executive sessions, as defined in section 1-200 of the general statutes, and all commission files, drafts, correspondence and other documents shall be available for public inspection.

(i) All lobbyist contacts or communications with commission members shall be publicly disclosed.

Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) The PERFORM Commission established in section 1 of this act shall develop recommendations for reorganizing state government to meet the fiscal challenges and other challenges of the twenty-first century. In developing such recommendations, the commission shall consider the following criteria: (1) Whether the missions of state agencies coincide or overlap and if so, how best to eliminate any redundancies; (2) whether functions of state agencies could be more effectively and efficiently accomplished and if so, whether it is appropriate to (A) merge agencies; (B) transfer a division within one agency to another agency or combine divisions in several agencies; (C) subdivide agencies or divisions within agencies; or (D) arrange for such functions to be provided by another entity; (3) whether any agency functions are outdated and can be eliminated; (4) whether boards and commissions are necessary or their functions can be either eliminated or carried out by other agency administrative staff; (5) whether the current administrative overhead of agencies is cost effective and appropriate and if not, what structural changes are necessary to achieve an appropriate and cost-effective level of administrative overhead; (6) whether information technology is being effectively used to provide efficient, cost-effective and timely services, and if not, how such technology can be more effectively utilized; (7) whether administrative functions may be provided in a more efficient and cost-effective manner and if so, how such efficiencies may be achieved; and (8) any other criteria the commission believes will result in more effective and efficient government.

(b) The PERFORM Commission may accept and examine suggestions from any individual or entity, provided (1) any such suggestion meets the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section, and (2) the commission shall not be required to take action on any such suggestion. Any suggestion received by the commission shall be subject to public disclosure.

(c) Not later than September 1, 2010, the PERFORM Commission shall finalize its recommendations and shall submit such final recommendations to the PERFORM Review Board established pursuant to section 3 of this act. The PERFORM Commission shall terminate on the date it submits its recommendations to the PERFORM Review Board or September 1, 2010, whichever is later.

Sec. 3. (Effective August 1, 2010) (a) There is established the Plan to Effectively Reorganize the Functions, Operations, Responsibilities and Mission of State Agencies Review Board which shall receive and review the recommendations submitted by the PERFORM Commission pursuant to section 2 of this act.

(b) The PERFORM Review Board shall consist of the following members: (1) One appointed by the Governor; (2) one jointly appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate; (3) one appointed jointly by the minority leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives; and (4) one appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. No member of the PERFORM Review Board shall have previously been a member of the PERFORM Commission established in section 1 of this act.

(c) Any member of the board appointed pursuant to subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member of the General Assembly, provided no more than two members of the board may be members of the General Assembly.

(d) Administrative support for the PERFORM Review Board shall be provided equally by the Office of Policy and Management, the Legislative Commissioners' Office and the legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis and Office of Legislative Research and such support shall include research, drafting, staff and supplies. The board may accept in-kind contributions from public and private donors to be used in the fulfillment of its duties, with the prior approval of the Office of State Ethics, provided all such in-kind contributions shall be publicly disclosed.

Sec. 4. (Effective August 1, 2010) (a) Not later than October 15, 2010, the PERFORM Review Board shall hold one public hearing in each congressional district in the state on the recommendations submitted by the PERFORM Commission.

(b) The PERFORM Review Board shall evaluate each recommendation made by the PERFORM Commission in light of the criteria set forth in subsection (a) of section 2 of this act and the testimony received in the public hearings held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The board shall, by affirmative vote of at least three members of the board, determine which of the recommendations it will amend or reject. All recommendations not rejected by the board that require statutory revisions in order to be implemented shall be fully drafted in statutory language by the board. All recommendations not rejected by the board that may be implemented by administrative action without legislation shall be forwarded for implementation to the Governor or Chief Justice, as appropriate.

(c) Not later than December 1, 2010, the PERFORM Review Board shall file its recommendations in fully drafted form with the clerk of the House of Representatives, the clerk of the Senate, the Governor and the Chief Justice, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

(d) The PERFORM Review Board shall terminate on the date it files its recommendations with the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Governor and the Chief Justice or December 1, 2010, whichever is later.

Sec. 5. (Effective August 1, 2010) Not later than February 28, 2011, the General Assembly shall vote to enact or reject the recommendations filed by the PERFORM Review Board in accordance with subsection (c) of section 4 of this act in their entirety, without amendment.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	from passage	New section
Sec. 2	from passage	New section
Sec. 3	August 1, 2010	New section
Sec. 4	August 1, 2010	New section
Sec. 5	August 1, 2010	New section

Statement of Purpose:

To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]