HJ52: State agencies; joint subcommittee to study feasibility of consolidating or outsourcing.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 52
Offered January 11, 2006
Prefiled January 9, 2006
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the feasibility and appropriateness of consolidating or outsourcing state agencies that issue licenses and permits and collect taxes. Report.
Patron-- Purkey

Referred to Committee on Rules

WHEREAS, currently there are 39 state agencies that issue permits or licenses; and

WHEREAS, currently there are 44 state agencies that collect user fees and 18 state agencies that collect retail sales tax; and

WHEREAS, given these numbers, the citizens may be better served by consolidating or outsourcing agencies that have duplicative functions as part of their overall mission; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the feasibility and appropriateness of consolidating or outsourcing state agencies that issue licenses and permits and collect taxes.  The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of eleven members that shall consist of seven legislative members, two nonlegislative citizen members, and two ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: five members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; one nonlegislative citizen member, who shall be a licensee of a state agency, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and one nonlegislative citizen member to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Director of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or her designee and the State Tax Commissioner or his designee shall serve ex officio with voting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice chairman, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall ascertain the number of state personnel, including contract employees, who perform licensing or tax collection functions, identify the locations throughout the state where these functions are being performed, and ascertain the cost of keeping the current organization of these agencies as opposed to consolidating and/or outsourcing these functions.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services.  Technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Professional and Occupation Regulation, the Department of Health Professions, and the Department of Taxation. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2006 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $5,000 without approval as set out in this resolution.  Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk.  If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2006, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2007 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and the report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee.  The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2006 interim.