REPORT TITLE:
Government Org. & Eff. Comm.


DESCRIPTION:
Proposes a constitutional amendment to require the convening of a
government organization and efficiency commission every ten years
to review state government operations and make recommendations to
enable state government to conduct its operations in a more cost-
effective manner.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2232
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH A
   COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EFFICIENCY.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to amend the
 
 2 Constitution of the State of Hawaii to require the convening of a
 
 3 commission on government organization and efficiency following
 
 4 the ratification of the constitutional amendment and every tenth
 
 5 year thereafter.  This commission will conduct a comprehensive
 
 6 review of state government operations and will make
 
 7 recommendations for administrative and legislative action
 
 8 necessary to make current and future state government operations
 
 9 cost-effective and efficient.  This Act will ensure that a
 
10 permanent mechanism is in place to provide for reviews to be
 
11 conducted on a regular and continuing basis.
 
12      SECTION 2.  The Constitution of the State of Hawaii is
 
13 amended by adding a new section to Article XVI to be
 
14 appropriately designated and to read as follows:
 
15       "COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EFFICIENCY
 
16      Section   .  There is created a commission on government
 
17 organization and efficiency, hereinafter referred to as "the
 
18 commission", which shall be constituted within      days
 
19 following ratification of this section and every tenth year
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 thereafter.  The commission shall be composed of nine members, of
 
 2 whom two shall be appointed by the president of the senate, two
 
 3 by the speaker of the house of representatives, and four by the
 
 4 governor.  The ninth member shall be selected by the eight
 
 5 appointed members and shall serve as the chairperson of the
 
 6 commission.  In selecting commission members, the appointing
 
 7 authorities shall ensure that there is representation from
 
 8 business, public employee unions, the three branches of state
 
 9 government, the academic community, and the general public.  Any
 
10 vacancy in the commission shall not affect its powers and shall
 
11 be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment
 
12 was made.
 
13      The commission shall act by majority vote of its membership
 
14 and shall establish its own procedures, except as may be provided
 
15 by law.  The commission shall operate as a cooperative public-
 
16 private venture, with the governor and the legislature providing
 
17 necessary resources to carry out its purpose, including the
 
18 provision of support staff, meeting space, equipment, supplies,
 
19 and expertise.
 
20      Members of the commission shall serve without compensation,
 
21 but shall be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other
 
22 necessary expenses incurred by them in the performance of their
 
23 duties.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The duties of the commission shall be to:
 
 2      (1)  Delineate all state powers, functions, and
 
 3           responsibilities and how state government has been
 
 4           organized to implement them;
 
 5      (2)  Assess whether the current mission and goals of
 
 6           government are appropriate to the times and capable of
 
 7           supporting self-reexamination or reinvention;
 
 8      (3)  Identify particular programs or tasks that are
 
 9           unnecessary, duplicative, or inefficiently operated;
 
10      (4)  Evaluate the current methods of operation to determine
 
11           whether or not agencies are effectively utilizing staff
 
12           positions and employing cost-efficient technology;
 
13      (5)  Recommend elimination of nonessential programs and
 
14           services and tasks involving duplication of effort or
 
15           overlapping services;
 
16      (6)  Recommend consolidation of services, activities, and
 
17           functions to streamline operations; and
 
18      (7)  Formulate and delineate strategies and methods that
 
19           will enable state government to conduct regular
 
20           performance evaluations for the purpose of continually
 
21           improving or reinventing government operations for
 
22           optimal efficiency and productivity.
 
23      The commission may hold hearings and make investigations.
 

 
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 1 For these purposes, the commission shall have such powers as may
 
 2 be provided by law with respect to issuance of subpoenas and
 
 3 compelling the attendance of witnesses to secure information
 
 4 necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.  Subpoenas
 
 5 shall be signed by the chairperson of the commission and may be
 
 6 served by any person designated by the chairperson.  Any member
 
 7 of the commission may administer oaths or affirmations to any
 
 8 person called before it.  Any person subpoenaed to appear before
 
 9 the commission shall be entitled to receive fees and travel
 
10 expenses as are allowed witnesses in civil actions in the circuit
 
11 courts of the State.
 
12      The commission shall have power to examine all government
 
13 records and may secure directly from any state agency,
 
14 information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics which are
 
15 necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this section.
 
16 Each department shall make its records available and shall
 
17 furnish information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics
 
18 directly to the commission, upon written request of the
 
19 chairperson.
 
20      The legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the
 
21 commission to carry out its duties."
 
22      SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
23 be as follows:
 

 
Page 5                                                     2232
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      "Shall there be established a commission on government
 
 2      organization and efficiency to meet every ten years to
 
 3      review state government operations and make recommendations
 
 4      to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency?"
 
 5      SECTION 4.  New constitutional material is underscored.
 
 6      SECTION 5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
 7 with Article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
 8 Hawaii.
 
 9 
 
10                              INTRODUCED BY:______________________