Standing Committee Senate Committee on Legislative Council (05/03/2013)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Date:	05/03/2013	ATTENDANCE

Time:	12:02 PM to 12:15 PM	Cadman	*
		Carroll	X
Place:	HCR 0112	Court	X
		DelGrosso	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Grantham	*
	Senator Morse	Guzman	X
		Hullinghorst	*
This Report was prepared by		Melton	X
	Dave DeNovellis	Murray	*
		Newell	X
		Nicholson	X
		Pabon	*
		Priola	*
		Renfroe	*
		Scheffel	*
		Waller	X
		Ferrandino	X
		Morse	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB13-1299		Referred to Appropriations

12:03 PM -- House Bill 13-1299

President Morse, chair, called the meeting to order.

Senator Steadman, sponsor, presented House Bill 13-1299 concerning changes to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) government Act" of 2010. As amended in the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, the bill modifies the SMART Act and the legislative interim committee process.

SMART Act hearings with state agencies will be held between November 1 and the start of the session, instead of the first weeks of the legislative session. Each agency will be assigned to a committee of reference and joint committees of reference must conduct annual hearings. The joint committees must meet at least once in even-numbered years and twice in odd-numbered years, starting in 2013.

Interim committees will be designated by the Legislative Council prior to the end of the legislative session, following requests made by individual legislators to study particular issues. Bills and resolutions to create interim committees will no longer be allowed. The bill requires the Director of the Legislative Council Staff to inform the Executive Committee each year how many interim committee meetings may be held within the legislative budget. If approved by the Legislative Council, each committee may appoint up to two task forces, with each task force including two members of the committee. Task force members serve without compensation of any kind, but legislators serving on a task force are eligible for reimbursement of travel expenses.

Finally, the bill changes the strategic planning requirements to require that departments prepare performance plans and performance evaluations that the JBC may use to prioritize requests for new funding that enhance productivity, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and eliminate waste. Amendments adopted in the House of Representatives clarify how the requirements apply to the Department of Higher Education and state institutions of higher education.

The SMART Act was first established under HB 10-1119. It set forth new performance-based budgeting requirements for state agencies and implemented a new role in state budgeting for legislative committees of reference.

Under current law, the 18-member Legislative Council is responsible for prioritizing interim studies. The Legislative Department is currently budgeted to support several committees established in statute, including four additional committees in 2013, of which three were prioritized on April 26, 2013.

Senator Steadman responded to questions from the committee regarding the 2010 act, the composition of interim committees, bills recommended by interim committees, SMART ACT hearings, and how the bill affects existing, standing interim committees.

Senator Cadman stated that he would like to see Legislative Council Staff and the Office of Legislative Legal Services create an outline of the interim process and templates for documents for interim committees should the bill become law.


BILL:	HB13-1299
TIME:	12:12:36 PM
MOVED:	Ferrandino
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 13-1299 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 18-0.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Cadman	Yes
	Carroll	Yes
	Court	Yes
	DelGrosso	Yes
	Grantham	Yes
	Guzman	Yes
	Hullinghorst	Yes
	Melton	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Newell	Yes
	Nicholson	Yes
	Pabon	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Renfroe	Yes
	Scheffel	Yes
	Waller	Yes
	Ferrandino	Yes
	Morse	Yes

Final YES: 18 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:15 PM

The committee adjourned.