AB493: Bill Text

2001 Assembly BILL 493

September 17, 2001 - Introduced by Representatives Underheim, Krawczyk, Jensen, Kestell, Urban, Turner, Olsen, Gunderson, Stone, Musser, Gronemus, Duff, Sykora, Powers, McCormick, Petrowski, Staskunas, Jeskewitz and Vrakas, cosponsored by Senators Welch, Roessler and Kanavas. Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

AB493,1,2 An Act to create 14.21 of the statutes; relating to: review of state agency performance and operations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires that the governor establish a program, to be known as "Renew Wisconsin." Under the program, the governor will appoint a committee for each state agency to conduct periodic performance evaluations of the operations of each state agency in the executive branch. In appointing members to the various committees, the governor must seek to appoint to each committee both state and local government public officials and employees and individuals who are not state and local government public officials and employees.

Under the program, the committees must review the performance of the state agencies and must identify ways in which the state agencies can improve their responsiveness to the residents of this state and ways in which the state agencies can reduce the costs of performing their duties. In addition, under the program, the committees must review the statutes and rules that affect the operation of the state agencies and must specifically identify the statutes and rules that are obsolete and the statutes and rules that provide benefits that exceed their costs and those that provide benefits that do not exceed their costs. Finally, the committees must make recommendations for modifications to the statutes and rules to more effectively and efficiently accomplish the public policy goals contained in the statutes and rules.

Under the program, the committees must conduct public hearings, the department of administration must provide staff support for the operations of the committees, and all state agencies must fully cooperate with the committees.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB493, s. 1 Section 1. 14.21 of the statutes is created to read:

AB493,2,2 14.21 Renew Wisconsin. (1) In this section:

AB493,2,3 (a) "Committee" means a committee appointed under sub. (2).

AB493,2,8 (b) "State agency" means an office, department, independent agency, institution of higher education, association, society, or other body in the executive branch of state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law and that is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, but not including an authority created in ch. 231, 233, or 234.

AB493,2,14 (2) The governor shall establish a program, entitled "Renew Wisconsin," under which the governor will appoint a committee for each state agency to conduct periodic performance evaluations of the operations of each state agency. In appointing members to the various committees, the governor shall seek to appoint to each committee both state and local government public officials and employees and individuals who are not state and local government public officials and employees.

AB493,2,18 (3) Each committee shall review the performance of the state agency assigned to the committee and shall identify ways in which the state agency can improve its responsiveness to the residents of this state and ways in which the state agency can reduce the costs of performing its duties.

AB493,2,21 (4) Each committee shall review the statutes and rules that affect the operation of the state agency assigned to the committee for review and shall do all of the following:

AB493,3,1 (a) Identify the statutes and rules that are obsolete.

AB493,3,3 (b) Identify the statutes and rules that provide benefits that exceed their costs and the statutes and rules that provide benefits that do not exceed their costs.

AB493,3,6 (c) Make recommendations for modifications to the statutes and rules to more effectively and efficiently accomplish the public policy goals contained in the statutes and rules.

AB493,3,8 (5) Each committee shall conduct one or more public hearings for the purpose of gathering information to perform its duties under subs. (3) and (4).

AB493,3,10 (6) The department of administration shall provide all staff support required for the operation of each committee.

AB493,3,12 (7) Each state agency shall fully cooperate with each committee and shall provide any information requested by a committee.

AB493,3,15 (8) Each committee shall submit a written report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the governor and the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).

AB493,3,16 (End)