SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1170        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1435

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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Resolve relative to state government accountability, economy, and efficiency.

Resolved, That a special commission be appointed to investigate and study methods of improving the accountability, economy and efficiency of the government of the Commonwealth and the operation of its agencies, departments and instrumentalities, hereinafter referred to as “the commission”.

SECTION 1. Purpose.

The purpose of the commission shall be to make recommendations to the Governor and the General Court to promote economy, efficiency, and improved service in the transaction of the public business in the various departments, agencies and instrumentalities in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government, and in making the operation of all state departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, and all expenditures of public funds, more directly responsive to the needs of the Commonwealth, by any or all of the following means:

a)By adopting methods and procedures for reducing expenditures to the lowest amount consistent with the efficient performance of essential services, activities and functions.

b)By eliminating duplication and overlapping services, activities, and functions, and time-consuming or wasteful practices.

c) By consolidating services, activities, and functions of a similar nature.

d)By abolishing services, activities, and functions not necessary to the efficient conduct of state government.

e)By the elimination of unnecessary state departments and agencies, the creation of necessary new state departments and agencies, the reorganization of existing state departments and agencies, and the transfer of functions and responsibilities among state departments and agencies.

f)By defining or redefining duties and responsibilities of state officers.

g)By revising present provisions for continuing or permanent appropriations of state funds or bond authorizations, for whatever purpose, by eliminating any such existing provisions and by adopting new provisions.

h)By establishing means for performance measurement and methods of reporting such measurement.

i) Reorganizing all aspects of state career public service including, but not limited to,  methods of recruitment and retention of state employees; training and re-training of state employees; job classification, salaries and benefits of state employees; discipline and termination of state employees, clarifying the state responsibilities and functions that are best served by regular state employees and those best served by contract employees; and encouraging and facilitating opportunities for private sector and non-profit sector employees to work in state government for limited periods of time. 

j) By analyzing and evaluating all state contracts with private vendors for the     purpose of confirming that all contracted approaches to the delivery of goods and services are accountable, economical, and efficient.

k) To review state requirements for contracting for goods and services and for the retention of professional services to determine the most effective means of determining the most qualified vendor, including but not limited to, a review of the method by which state agencies, authorities, boards and commissions retain legal counsel, accounting, architectural and engineering services.

Section 2. Membership.

The commission shall be comprised of the following members, each of whom shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority:

a)Thirteen members, of whom seven shall be appointed by the Governor, three by the President of the Senate, and three by the Speaker of the House.  Not more than seven of such members shall be registered voters in the same political party, and none shall hold public office in the executive or legislative branches of the state government.  Leading Massachusetts residents in the fields of business and government management, accounting, labor relations, finance, and human relations including, but not limited to deans of schools of business, public administration or other scholars would be ideal candidates for these appointments.

b)Five members of the Massachusetts Senate who shall be the Senate Chair of Ways and Means, the Senate Chair of the Committee on Taxation, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, and two members designated by the Senate Minority Leader.

c)Five members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who shall be the House Chair of Ways and Means, the House Chair of the Committee on Taxation, the Chair of the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, and two members designated by the House Minority Leader.  

d)The Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House, who shall jointly designate the chair or co-chairs of the Task Force, shall each serve on the Task Force, ex-officio.

e)The Auditor of the Commonwealth and the Inspector General of the Commonwealth, ex-officio.

Section 3. Meetings and Reports.

The Commission shall meet monthly and should have the authority, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Administration and Finance, to request staff support and research from state agencies to carry out its responsibilities.  The Commission may seek assistance from other organizations or individuals on a pro bono basis.  The Commission shall file annual reports with the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives and shall make a final report not later than June 30, 2010.  The Commission may make interim reports as appropriate in order to address the serious fiscal problems facing the Commonwealth in the next few years.