REPORT TITLE:
State Govt; Restructuring


DESCRIPTION:
Requires certain legislative subject matter committees to
collaborate with counterparts from all county councils together
with representatives from respective state and county operations
to help achieve the purposes of Act 223, Session Laws of Hawaii
1998.  Requires all house and senate legislative subject matter
committees to participate in reforming government operations by
collaborating with respective state agencies to identify three
areas conducive for significant productivity improvement and
selecting at least one for interim activity.  (SB105 HD1) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        105
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO REFORM OF STATE GOVERNMENT.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a continuing
 
 2 and urgent need to streamline and improve the delivery of
 
 3 government services.  While plausible results have been achieved
 
 4 in recent years, the size and cost of government still remains a
 
 5 heavy burden on Hawaii's taxpayers.
 
 6      Studies to improve the responsiveness and efficiency of
 
 7 state government have already been conducted, ranging from
 
 8 reports in 1974 and 1977 from the commission on organization of
 
 9 government ("CORE"), to the 1993 report of the interim commission
 
10 on government redesign, which supported the need to redesign the
 
11 delivery of state government services.
 
12      Recognizing the need to improve the delivery of government
 
13 services and reduce government bureaucracy, the legislature in
 
14 1996 passed Act 297, Session Laws of Hawaii 1996, to address the
 
15 consolidation and streamlining of government departments and
 
16 services.  Act 297 acknowledged that although the current state
 
17 administration had taken certain actions to respond to the
 
18 State's fiscal crisis and restructure state government agencies
 
19 for more efficient and effective delivery of government services,
 
20 the task of reorganizing state government falls jointly on the
 

 
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 1 legislature and the governor:  the legislature to set policies
 
 2 and the governor to develop and implement an action plan to
 
 3 implement the policies.
 
 4      In response to Act 297, the governor issued an interim
 
 5 report to the legislature entitled "Restructuring State
 
 6 Government Services" (December 1996), which made a number of
 
 7 findings and recommendations to streamline government.  However,
 
 8 the legislature finds that these efforts, while important, do not
 
 9 go far enough, and that the circumstances that prompted the
 
10 enactment of Act 297 still remain.
 
11      There continues to be a need to resolve the State's economic
 
12 stagnation, as well as a need for government agencies to adapt to
 
13 the ever-changing needs and demands of the public they serve.
 
14 State agencies must revise and retool their concepts of public
 
15 service in order to remain responsive and efficient.  There
 
16 continues to be not only duplication of effort among state
 
17 agencies but also encroachment into the functions of the private
 
18 sector.  Many state government services, although well-meaning,
 
19 have placed increased strain on the State's weak fiscal
 
20 situation.  To effectively and efficiently perform the most
 
21 essential public services, the State must make the best use of
 
22 every resource, every tax dollar, and every personnel position.
 

 
 
 
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 1      The legislature further finds that the State's continuing
 
 2 poor economy, weak revenue projections, and budget gaps between
 
 3 expected expenses and income requires a determination or the best
 
 4 means to increase government productivity and realize additional
 
 5 cost savings.  The legislature finds that the State's weakened
 
 6 economic situation requires further productivity improvements in
 
 7 state government operations to address continuing budgetary
 
 8 shortfalls.
 
 9      Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to reform state
 
10 government operations so as to increase effectiveness and
 
11 efficiency.
 
12      SECTION 2.  (a)  Certain legislative subject matter
 
13 committees shall collaborate with counterparts from all county
 
14 councils, together with representatives from respective state and
 
15 county operations, to help achieve the purposes of Act 223,
 
16 Session Laws of Hawaii 1998.  Specifically, this would require
 
17 the house and senate transportation committees to meet jointly
 
18 with county council transportation committees and representatives
 
19 from state and county highway divisions.  House-Senate land use
 
20 committees shall similarly review state and county park
 
21 operations with respective state and county agencies to determine
 
22 the feasibility of singular responsibility.
 

 
 
 
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 1      Cost savings and efficiencies gained under all possible
 
 2 organizational configurations should be determined.
 
 3 Consideration should be given to any such organizational
 
 4 structuring which may have been successfully employed in other
 
 5 states.
 
 6      (b)  All house and senate legislative subject matter
 
 7 committees shall participate in reforming government operations
 
 8 by collaborating with respective state agencies to identify three
 
 9 areas conducive for significant productivity improvement and
 
10 selecting at least one for interim activity.
 
11      (c)  This effort toward reforming specific government
 
12 functions shall materially involve state employees from within
 
13 the affected operations.  Participation by legislators shall be
 
14 in a "behind the scenes," secondary, monitoring and listening
 
15 role rather directing change.
 
16      (d)  Any action under this Act to reform government shall
 
17 not result in any termination or lay off.  Employees who may be
 
18 transferred shall not sustain any loss in pay.  Subject to the
 
19 approval of the legislature, the committees may recommend early
 
20 retirement parameters without penalty to accomplish desired
 
21 reform and savings.
 
22      SECTION 3.  Each joint legislative committee shall submit a
 
23 report of its actions and recommendations to the legislature no
 

 
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 1 later than twenty days before the convening of the regular
 
 2 session of 2000.
 
 3      SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 4 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $      or so much
 
 5 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 for the
 
 6 purposes of this Act.
 
 7      The sum appropriated shall be expended by the speaker of the
 
 8 house of representatives.
 
 9      SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
10 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $      or so much
 
11 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 for the
 
12 purposes of this Act.
 
13      The sum appropriated shall be expended by the president of
 
14 the senate.
 
15      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.