STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2nd Session of the 54th Legislature (2014)

SENATE BILL 1174	By:	Allen

AS INTRODUCED

An Act relating to the Department of Transportation Staffing and Consulting Task Force; creating task force; stating purpose; stating membership; requiring appointments by certain date; providing for staffing and travel reimbursement; providing for administrative support; requiring report by certain date; directing distribution; providing for noncodification; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
A.  There is hereby created until December 1, 2015, the "Department of Transportation Staffing and Consulting Task Force" for the purpose of studying and evaluating the number of staff and consultants employed and retained by the Department of Transportation.  The task force shall also address any other pertinent issues it deems necessary to carry out the scope of the study.
B.  The Department of Transportation Staffing and Consulting Task Force shall consist of ten (10) members, as follows:
1.  The Secretary of Transportation, or a designee;
2.  A Representative from a transportation advocacy group appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
3.  A Representative from a road and bridge organization appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
4.  A Representative from Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services, Human Capital Management Division;
5.  Three members of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and
6.  Three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Any vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each designate one of the legislative members appointed to the task force to serve as cochair.
Appointments made pursuant to this section shall be finalized no later than July 1, 2014.
The cochair shall convene the first meeting of the task force.  The task force shall meet as often as it deems necessary.  Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.  Nonlegislative task force members employed by the state shall be reimbursed for travel expenses related to their service on the task force by their appointing authority in accordance with the provisions of the State Travel Reimbursement Act.  Legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed for their necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with Section 456 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Administrative support for the task force shall be provided by the Department of Transportation to be supplemented, if necessary, by the staff of the Senate and the House of Representatives.  All participating state agencies shall provide for any administrative support as requested by the task force.
C.  The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Oklahoma Transportation Commission on or before December 1, 2015.  The report shall be prepared by the staff of the Department of Transportation.
SECTION 2.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

54-2-1913	 JD	12/26/2013 3:02:01 PM