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.
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