SRC-VRA S.B. 1516 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1516
By: Armbrister
Government Organization
4/14/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Local governments, especially those with multiple state funding sources,
must comply with many state reporting and auditing requirements.  Over
time, these requirements have become duplicative and lack a coherent
underlying scheme to ensure that only necessary information is required to
be reported.  As proposed, S.B. 1516 develops a more uniform and logical
reporting structure for local governments. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

   
SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 783, Government Code, by adding Section
783.010, as follows: 
 
Sec. 783.010.  STATE AGENCY REPORTING AND AUDITING COORDINATION. (a)
Requires a state agency that requires reports of local governments to,
during the second year of each state biennium, conduct a zero-based review
of reporting requirements imposed on local governments and simplify the
reporting requirements and determine and eliminate unnecessary,
duplicative, or overly burdensome reporting requirements. 

(b)  Requires a state agency to report the results of the reviews required
by Subsection (a) to the state auditor and authorizes an agency to
recommend statutory changes to minimize cost, duplication, and paperwork
and to maximize the efficient and effective use of public funds. 
  
(c)  Prohibits a state agency from requiring local governments to submit
reports on items not required by law, rule, or performance measures. 
 
(d)  Requires a state agency, to achieve greater efficiency in the use of
governmental funds expended on governmental audits, to perform certain
tasks. 
 
(e)  Requires the state auditor to report to the legislature and the
governor each biennium on state agency compliance with these provisions. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.