HB2816eng 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2816 Engrossed LRB098 07970 HLH 38059 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Commission on Taxpayer Oversight and Reduction of State Spending Act.

Section 5. Legislative intent. It is the continuing policy of the State to provide the citizens of Illinois with a government that is accountable to the taxpayers. To carry out this policy effectively, it is essential that the General Assembly examine expenditures of the State for programs and services and make recommendations to reduce spending.

Section 10. Creation of Commission. The Commission on Taxpayer Oversight and Reduction of State Spending, hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Commission", is hereby created in the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to examine expenditures of the State and make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly to reduce State spending. The Commission shall:

(1) Conduct investigations to ascertain facts, review appropriations and expenditures, and make recommendations and reports concerning revenues and expenditures of the State, its departments, subdivisions, and agencies, whether created by the Constitution or otherwise.

(2) Review the budget submitted by the Governor and make recommendations for reducing expenditures set forth in the budget, provided the Commission shall take into account any specific areas of reductions recommended for the Commission's review by the Governor and the statewide prioritized budgetary goals established by Section 50-25 of the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois, as those goals are reflected in the budget submitted by the Governor.

(3) Review programs, strategies, and activities conducted by agencies and grant recipients to determine whether they are achieving the prioritized outcomes and meeting the goals established under Section 50-25 of the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois in an efficient manner and make recommendations to reduce appropriations or expenditures of agencies and grant recipients failing to meet the outcomes and goals.

(4) Consider budgetary reductions at the State and local levels of government through the reduction or elimination of statutorily mandated expenditures or the consolidation of government agencies and instrumentalities to eliminate waste and inefficiency in the operation of State and local government.

The Commission shall have continuing existence and may meet, act, and conduct its business at any place within this State, during the sessions of the General Assembly or any recess thereof, and in the interim periods between sessions.

Section 15. Composition of Committee. The Commission shall consist of 8 members as follows: 2 members of the General Assembly appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall serve as co-chair of the Commission; 2 members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall serve as co-chair of the Commission; 2 members of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and 2 members of the General Assembly appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The Governor shall appoint 2 additional members to serve in a non-voting, advisory capacity. A vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the initial appointment.

Section 20. Reports of the Commission. The Commission may, upon the concurrence of a majority of its members, issue a report with recommendations. The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing prior to issuing any report and allow interested persons to present their views and comments. The Commission may prescribe reasonable rules for the conduct of public hearings and issuance of reports. Reports of the Commission shall include the following: (i) the expenditure, State program, or service examined; (ii) a detailed description of the investigation conducted by the Commission; (iii) any inquiries for the Governor, if applicable, related to the expenditure, State program, or service; (iv) specific recommendations for change, improvement, reduction, or elimination of the State program or service; and (v) a detailed formal request for action by the Governor. Any report making a recommendation shall be filed with the Governor, Secretary of the Senate, and Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Section 25. Response of the Governor. Upon receipt of a report, the Governor shall respond, in writing, within 30 calendar days. Such response shall be filed with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House of Representatives. The Governor's response shall include a response to any inquiries made in the report and a specific response to each recommendation of the Commission stating whether the Governor accepts or rejects the recommendation. If the Governor accepts a recommendation of the Commission, the response shall include a description of any action that has or will be taken to comply with the recommendation. If the Governor rejects the recommendation of the Commission, the response shall include reasons for the rejection.

Section 30. Cooperation of State agencies. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall cooperate with the Commission by providing relevant data, documents, and other information as requested by the Commission. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall, upon request, provide the Commission with an analysis of the costs or savings associated with any potential recommendation. At the request of the Commission, each State agency shall, without delay, make available any record or information requested and shall provide for examination and copying of all records, accounts, papers, reports, vouchers, correspondence, books and other documentation in the custody of that agency, including information stored in electronic data processing systems, which is related to or within the scope of an investigation conducted by the Commission.

Section 35. Administrative support. The Governor's Office of Management and Budget shall provide administrative and other support to the Commission.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.