Senate File 2270 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY WARNSTADT
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the operation and responsibilities of the
2 state and local governments by creating a government
3 restructuring council, establishing a government restructuring
4 council fund, and providing an effective date.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 8.70 GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING
1 2 COUNCIL.
1 3 1. A government restructuring council is created
1 4 consisting of sixteen voting members and four ex officio,
1 5 nonvoting members.
1 6 a. Voting members of the council shall be appointed as
1 7 follows:
1 8 (1) Two members representing county government appointed
1 9 by the president of the Iowa state association of counties.
1 10 One member shall be from a county with a population greater
1 11 than twenty thousand and one member shall be from a county
1 12 with a population of twenty thousand or less.
1 13 (2) Two members representing city government appointed by
1 14 the president of the Iowa league of cities. One member shall
1 15 be from a city with a population greater than two thousand and
1 16 one member shall be from a city with a population of two
1 17 thousand or less.
1 18 (3) Two members representing school districts appointed by
1 19 the president of the Iowa association of school boards. One
1 20 member shall be from a school district with an enrollment
1 21 greater than one thousand students and one member shall be
1 22 from a school district with an enrollment of one thousand
1 23 students or less.
1 24 (4) One member from a metropolitan planning organization,
1 25 appointed by the governor.
1 26 (5) Two members designated by the president of the
1 27 American federation of state, county, and municipal employees,
1 28 Iowa council 61. One member shall be a state employee and one
1 29 member shall be an employee of a local government.
1 30 (6) One member representing the Iowa state education
1 31 association appointed by the Iowa state education association
1 32 president.
1 33 (7) One member who is a professor of public administration
1 34 appointed by the state board of regents.
1 35 (8) Two members appointed by the governor, both of whom
2 1 shall possess private business expertise and who are employees
2 2 or officers of Iowa businesses having revenues in excess of
2 3 one billion dollars.
2 4 (9) One member designated by the president of the Iowa
2 5 taxpayers association.
2 6 (10) Two members representing organizations that
2 7 specialize in the delivery of services to Iowans, appointed by
2 8 the governor.
2 9 b. Four ex officio, nonvoting members of the general
2 10 assembly shall be appointed, one each appointed by the
2 11 majority leader of the senate, the minority leader of the
2 12 senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
2 13 minority leader of the house of representatives.
2 14 2. a. The council shall expire no later than January 1,
2 15 2010. Terms of all members shall be for the duration of the
2 16 council.
2 17 b. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the
2 18 original appointment was made for the unexpired portion of the
2 19 term.
2 20 c. Members of the council shall be allowed their actual
2 21 and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
2 22 duties. Per diem and expenses paid to council members shall
2 23 be paid from moneys appropriated to the government
2 24 restructuring fund, except that the per diem and expenses of
2 25 members of the general assembly shall be paid pursuant to
2 26 section 2.12.
2 27 d. The council shall convene its first meeting no later
2 28 than October 1, 2008, and shall elect one of its voting
2 29 members as chairperson. The council shall meet at the call of
2 30 the chairperson or when a majority of the voting members of
2 31 the council files a written request with the chairperson for a
2 32 meeting. Written notice of the time and place of each meeting
2 33 shall be given to each member of the council.
2 34 e. A majority of the voting members of the council
2 35 constitutes a quorum. Any action taken by the council must be
3 1 adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of its voting
3 2 membership.
3 3 f. The council is located for administrative purposes
3 4 within the department. The department shall provide office
3 5 space, staff assistance, administrative support, and necessary
3 6 supplies and equipment to the council.
3 7 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 8.71 DUTIES OF COUNCIL.
3 8 The government restructuring council shall do all of the
3 9 following:
3 10 1. Promote, encourage, and advance innovation and
3 11 efficiency in state and local governance.
3 12 2. Convene public hearings throughout the state to solicit
3 13 public comment on the current strengths and deficiencies of
3 14 government services.
3 15 3. Conduct a review and analysis of the state and local
3 16 governance structure, and to the extent possible consider and
3 17 incorporate expertise of other units of government and
3 18 previous research.
3 19 4. Develop and approve recommendations for all of the
3 20 following:
3 21 a. Which services should be provided by a unit of
3 22 government and which services should be provided by another
3 23 entity.
3 24 b. Which unit of government is best equipped and most
3 25 efficient at providing certain services.
3 26 c. Which unit of government should be responsible for
3 27 financing certain services.
3 28 5. Identify ways a unit of government may leverage
3 29 resources to improve services and develop a competitive
3 30 advantage.
3 31 6. Recommend ways to eliminate the duplication of
3 32 government administration and services.
3 33 7. Identify government services that require modernization
3 34 to increase efficiency.
3 35 8. On or before January 1, 2010, submit to the general
4 1 assembly, as provided in section 7A.11A, and to the office of
4 2 the governor a report and recommendations for legislation that
4 3 would increase efficiency, provide flexibility, and improve
4 4 government services.
4 5 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 8.72 GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING
4 6 COUNCIL FUND.
4 7 1. A government restructuring council fund is established
4 8 as a separate fund in the state treasury under the control of
4 9 the department.
4 10 2. All funds received by the department for purposes of
4 11 the government restructuring council, including but not
4 12 limited to gifts, transfers, endowments, and appropriations,
4 13 shall be credited to the fund and are appropriated to the
4 14 council to be invested or used to support the duties of the
4 15 council.
4 16 3. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any balance in the fund
4 17 on June 30 of any fiscal year shall not revert to the general
4 18 fund of the state.
4 19 4. Upon expiration of the council, all fund balances from
4 20 appropriations of state funds shall be returned to the general
4 21 fund of the state and all other assets shall be transferred to
4 22 the general fund of the state, subject to any conditions or
4 23 restrictions previously placed on the assets.
4 24 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 8.73 FUTURE REPEAL OF COUNCIL.
4 25 Sections 8.70 through 8.72 and this section are repealed
4 26 effective January 1, 2010.
4 27 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
4 28 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
4 29 EXPLANATION
4 30 This bill establishes a government restructuring council.
4 31 The council is located in the department of management for
4 32 administrative purposes. Members of the council represent
4 33 county and city governments, school districts, education
4 34 associations, state and local employee organizations, private
4 35 service organizations, a taxpayer advocacy organization, and
5 1 the private business sector. The bill also requires the
5 2 council to include a professor of public administration
5 3 appointed by the board of regents. Four members of the
5 4 general assembly are also appointed as nonvoting members of
5 5 the council.
5 6 The bill directs the council to promote, encourage, and
5 7 advance innovation and efficiency in state and local
5 8 governance, convene public hearings throughout the state to
5 9 solicit public comment on the strengths and deficiencies of
5 10 government services, develop recommendations for the types of
5 11 services that should be provided by a unit of government and
5 12 which unit of government should provide such service, identify
5 13 ways to leverage resources to improve services, eliminate the
5 14 duplication of government administration and services, and
5 15 identify services that would benefit from modernization.
5 16 The bill requires the council to submit to the general
5 17 assembly and to the governor a report and recommendations for
5 18 legislation that would increase efficiency, provide
5 19 flexibility, and improve government services no later than
5 20 January 1, 2010.
5 21 The bill creates a government restructuring council fund
5 22 for the purpose of supporting the duties of the council.
5 23 The bill specifies that the council expires no later than
5 24 January 1, 2010.
5 25 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
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