Regular Session 2017-2018 Senate Resolution 0157 P.N. 1038

PRINTER'S NO. 1038

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

157

Session of

2017

INTRODUCED BY BAKER, BARTOLOTTA, BROOKS, SCAVELLO, YAW,

EICHELBERGER, WHITE, VULAKOVICH, MARTIN AND BROWNE,

JUNE 28, 2017

REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 28, 2017

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Establishing a process to determine whether consolidation of the

Department of Aging, the Department of Drug and Alcohol

Programs, the Department of Health and the Department of

Human Services should occur, and directing the appointment of

an Efficiencies Director to lead an examination of the

options and develop an implementation plan should

consolidation of any or all of the four State agencies be

recommended.

WHEREAS, In February 2017, as part of his budget address,

Governor Tom Wolf proposed the consolidation of the Department

of Aging, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the

Department of Health and the Department of Human Services

(hereinafter referred to as "the departments") in an effort to

deliver public health, social and human services to residents of

this Commonwealth in the most efficient and effective way; and

WHEREAS, The goal of enhancing service delivery to improve

lives while reducing costs to taxpayers is always appealing and

worthy of consideration; and

WHEREAS, Any consolidation or structural changes considered

for implementation in the departments should seek to bolster

benefits and programs for seniors, children, the disabled and

others in need, decrease confusion for recipients, reduce red

tape for providers, and enhance our efforts to fight back

against the heroin and opioid epidemic; and

WHEREAS, Joint hearings held by the appropriate oversight

committees in the Senate and House of Representatives

demonstrated a need for greater stakeholder input and revealed

numerous issues, including concerns about diminished priority

for smaller departments and questions about the actual budgetary

savings that would be gained; and

WHEREAS, The decision to consolidate or not consolidate any

or all of the departments or the administrative services or

programs within the departments requires a deliberative process,

which includes ample community input from stakeholders and

others, and provides for necessary legislative oversight; and

WHEREAS, The creation of a process to study such

consolidation and the appointment of an Efficiencies Director is

necessary to eliminate or lessen any negative impact resulting

from any potential consolidation; therefore be it

RESOLVED, (the House of Representative concurring), That the

General Assembly direct that an Efficiencies Director,

knowledgeable and experienced in the primary functions of the

departments, be appointed to lead an examination of the various

options and offer a report with recommendations on whether to

consolidate any or all of the departments, or in lieu of

consolidation, any other suggestions to streamline bureaucracy;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Efficiencies Director be appointed by the

Governor with the consent of a majority of the members of the

Senate within 60 days of the effective date of this resolution,

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or in the absence of an appointment, the Secretary of

Administration will serve as the Efficiencies Director by

default; and be it further

RESOLVED, That an Evaluation Committee be established as

follows:

(1) The committee shall consist of the following

members:

(i) The Efficiencies Director, who shall serve as

chairperson.

(ii) Five members appointed by each of the

following:

(A) The Majority Leader of the Senate.

(B) The Minority Leader of the Senate.

Representatives.

(D) The Minority Leader of the House of

Representatives.

(2) In an effort to accurately represent providers and

consumers, the following apply:

(i) at least one member appointed by each of the

individuals under paragraph (1)(ii) shall receive

services from one of the departments under consideration,

or serve as an advocacy organization representing such

recipients; and

(ii) the remaining members appointed by each of the

individuals listed under paragraph (1)(ii) must be

contracted with or providing services on behalf of one of

the departments under consideration for consolidation, or

must be a member of an advocacy organization representing

the providers;

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and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Evaluation Committee shall create any

number of subcommittees as it deems necessary and membership in

the subcommittees need not be limited to members of the

Evaluation Committee, but may include members or nonmembers

knowledgeable and experienced in the programmatic areas of the

departments being considered, or in consolidations, budgeting,

planning, or any other relevant field; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a Legislative Oversight Committee be

established, which shall consist of the following members or

their designees:

(1) The Secretary of Administration.

(2) The Secretary of the Budget.

(3) The secretaries of the departments.

(4) The Majority Leader of the Senate.

(5) The Minority Leader of the Senate.

(6) The majority chairpersons of each of the following

Senate Committees:

(i) Aging and Youth.

(ii) Appropriations.

(iii) Intergovernmental Operations.

(iv) Health and Human Services.

(7) The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(8) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(9) The majority chairpersons of each of the following

committees of the House of Representatives:

(i) Aging and Older Adult Services.

(ii) Appropriations.

(iii) Children and Youth.

(iv) Health.

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(v) Human Services.

(10) One member of the Senate and one member of the

House of Representatives, each selected by the Governor.

(11) The Efficiencies Director;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the departments provide administrative

services, meeting space and other necessary assistance to the

Efficiencies Director and the Evaluation Committee; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That members shall not receive compensation but

shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the service of the

committee through a separate appropriation under the Department

of Human Services in the amount of $200,000; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Efficiencies Director, with support from

the Evaluation Committee and the Legislative Oversight

Committee, and in consultation with diverse stakeholder groups,

will gather input from various health and human services

populations in order to investigate whether any consolidation of

the departments, of administrative services, or of various

programs will generate cost savings, efficiencies and better

outcomes, and whether program disruption or other issues would

outweigh any benefits; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Evaluation Committee will make a final

recommendation on whether to consolidate any or all of the

departments, administrative services or various programs; and be

it further

RESOLVED, That should it be determined that no consolidation

should occur, the Evaluation Committee shall prepare a report

explaining the recommendation and offer specific suggestions on

how customer service improvements and cost savings might be

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achieved outside of consolidation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That should it be determined that any consolidation

should occur, the Evaluation Committee will make findings

regarding and create a consolidation plan that specifically

addresses:

(1) Impacts on consumers and program recipients.

(2) Impacts on counties and other service providers.

(3) Cost-benefit analysis detailing any cost savings to

be gained.

(4) Efficiencies to be made.

(5) Metrics to determine success.

(6) Accountability for carrying out the plan.

(7) Relevant time frames for any recommended action.

(8) Department-specific recommendations on inclusion or

noninclusion into other consolidated departments.

(9) Determination of critical programs and

recommendations of whether identified programs should be

included into other consolidated departments.

(10) Whether consolidation of administrative services

should be considered separately.

(11) Whether direct accountability of the Medicaid

Director to the General Assembly would improve services,

accountability, decision making and the appropriate

dissemination of information.

(12) Specific legislation to accomplish any proposals;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the plan be presented to the Legislative

Oversight Committee by the Efficiencies Director within one year

of the effective date of this resolution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Efficiencies Director may, at any time,

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seek approval by the Legislative Oversight Committee, and

ultimately the General Assembly, of any component parts of a

plan or any other measures designed to affect efficiencies, cost

savings, service improvements or other benefits the Efficiencies

Director deems necessary or desirable, prior to the expiration

of the one-year period; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Oversight Committee shall

conduct no less than three public hearings, in diverse

geographic regions of this Commonwealth, and over no more than a

three-month period, to fully vet the plan or any component parts

of the plan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Oversight Committee have the

authority to amend, approve or disapprove the plan or any

component parts of the plan brought to it; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Oversight Committee vote on

the plan, any component parts of the plan and any proposed

amendments to the plan or component parts thereof; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That the plan, any component parts of the plan and

any amendments agreed to by the Legislative Oversight Committee

be presented to the General Assembly; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the secretaries of the departments or any

consolidated departments shall report on January 1 of each year

to the Evaluation Committee and the Legislative Oversight

Committee regarding progress on the plan or any component parts

approved by the General Assembly, including progress on meeting

performance goals or other metrics established with respect to

the plan or any component parts thereof; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Evaluation Committee and the Legislative

Oversight Committee shall meet at least annually to review

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progress on the plan or any component parts approved by the

General Assembly, including progress on meeting performance

goals or other metrics established with respect to the plan or

any component parts thereof until the actions recommended by the

plan or component parts thereof are deemed complete by a

majority of the Evaluation and Legislative Oversight committees.

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