1-1 By: Fraser S.B. No. 441 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 29, 2001; January 30, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 February 14, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 1-5 8, Nays 0; February 14, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the administration of certain state agencies. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 2162, Government Code, is 1-11 amended by adding Section 2162.106 to read as follows: 1-12 Sec. 2162.106. SMALL STATE AGENCIES. (a) In this section: 1-13 (1) "Small state agency" means a state agency with 1-14 fewer than 100 full-time equivalent employees. 1-15 (2) "Administrative functions" includes information 1-16 technology, budgeting, accounting, payroll, purchasing, courier 1-17 services, mail services, reproduction or other printing services, 1-18 and training. 1-19 (b) The council shall review the administrative functions of 1-20 small state agencies to determine the cost-effectiveness of 1-21 acquiring these services through a group contract or an interagency 1-22 agreement. 1-23 (c) If the council determines that a service may be acquired 1-24 in a more cost-effective manner through a group contract or an 1-25 interagency agreement, the council shall: 1-26 (1) prescribe the specifications and conditions for 1-27 acquiring a service through a group contract or an interagency 1-28 agreement; and 1-29 (2) require a small state agency to acquire a service 1-30 through a group contract or an interagency agreement. 1-31 (d) In performing its duties under this section, the council 1-32 shall: 1-33 (1) examine alternatives in the private sector and 1-34 among other state agencies; 1-35 (2) solicit advice and cooperation from the Small 1-36 State Agency Task Force; and 1-37 (3) include in its review the small state agencies 1-38 located in the William P. Clements, Jr., State Office Building and 1-39 the William P. Hobby, Jr., State Office Building, designating a 1-40 small state agency from each building to lead the coordination of 1-41 the review. 1-42 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is 1-43 amended by adding Section 403.0222 to read as follows: 1-44 Sec. 403.0222. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON SMALL STATE AGENCY 1-45 REPORTING PROCEDURES. (a) In this section, "small state agency" 1-46 means a state agency with fewer than 100 full-time equivalent 1-47 employees. 1-48 (b) An interagency task force is created to provide advice 1-49 on the simplification of small state agency reporting procedures. 1-50 (c) The task force is composed of: 1-51 (1) a representative of: 1-52 (A) the Legislative Budget Board, appointed by 1-53 its director; 1-54 (B) the governor's budget office, appointed by 1-55 the governor; 1-56 (C) the state auditor's office, appointed by the 1-57 state auditor; 1-58 (D) the comptroller's office, appointed by the 1-59 comptroller; and 1-60 (E) the General Services Commission, appointed 1-61 by its executive director; and 1-62 (2) the chair of the Small State Agency Task Force 1-63 established informally by certain small state agencies, who serves 1-64 as an ex officio voting member. 2-1 (d) An appointed member of the task force serves at the will 2-2 of the appointing authority. 2-3 (e) The representative of the comptroller's office serves as 2-4 presiding officer. The task force may elect from its members any 2-5 other necessary officers. 2-6 (f) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding 2-7 officer. 2-8 (g) A task force member is not entitled to additional 2-9 compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's 2-10 travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660 and the General 2-11 Appropriations Act. The agency represented by a member is 2-12 responsible for the payment of the expenses. 2-13 (h) The task force shall: 2-14 (1) identify issues that impede efficiency in small 2-15 state agency reporting procedures, including reports that duplicate 2-16 information required in other reports, frequent reporting 2-17 requirements, and complicated reporting formats; 2-18 (2) develop procedures to address the issues in 2-19 Subdivision (1), such as less frequent reporting schedules and 2-20 simplified reporting formats; 2-21 (3) study other small state agency reporting issues; 2-22 (4) make recommendations based on its findings to each 2-23 member agency; and 2-24 (5) report, before November 1 in each even-numbered 2-25 year, to the governor, the legislature, and the comptroller on 2-26 statutory changes required to implement the task force's 2-27 recommendations. The task force shall also report on nonstatutory 2-28 changes that have been made or that need to be made to implement 2-29 the task force's recommendations. 2-30 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-31 * * * * *