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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the study of efficiency, productivity, and |
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cost-effectiveness in state agency operations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Executive head of a state agency" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 572.002, Government Code. |
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(2) "State agency" means an agency, department, |
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office, or other entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial |
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branch of state government. The term includes an institution of |
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higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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(b) Not later than October 1, 2011, the executive head of |
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each state agency shall establish a work group consisting of five |
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members within the agency to study and make recommendations |
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regarding improving the efficiency, productivity, and |
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cost-effectiveness of the agency's operations. |
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(c) Each work group shall, at a minimum, consider reducing |
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expenses and improving efficiency by: |
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(1) consolidating any reports or publications the |
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agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those |
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reports or publications exclusively by electronic means; |
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(2) extending the effective period of any license, |
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permit, or registration the agency grants or administers; |
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(3) entering into a contract with another governmental |
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entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's |
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duties; |
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(4) adopting additional eligibility requirements for |
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persons who receive benefits under any law the agency administers |
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to ensure that those benefits are received by the most deserving |
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persons consistent with the purposes for which the benefits are |
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provided; |
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(5) providing that any communication between the |
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agency and another person and any document required to be delivered |
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to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing |
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statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by |
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e-mail or through the Internet; and |
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(6) adopting and collecting reasonable fees or charges |
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to cover any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful |
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functions. |
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(d) Not later than April 1, 2012, each work group shall |
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provide its report to the executive head of the state agency that |
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commissioned the report. |
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(e) The executive head of each state agency shall review the |
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findings in the report and may implement all or part of the |
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recommendations in the report. |
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(f) This section expires September 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |