PRINTER'S NO. 2104
No. 222 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY ZUG, LYNCH, EGOLF, BARD, JAROLIN, E. Z. TAYLOR,
JAMES, FARGO, HERMAN, STERN, L. I. COHEN, SEMMEL, BARRAR,
PESCI, ROHRER, HERSHEY, MARSICO, READSHAW, KREBS, SAYLOR,
FICHTER, C. WILLIAMS AND HENNESSEY, JUNE 16, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 16, 1997
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 To re-create a commission of public and private cost-minded
2 leaders of this Commonwealth to study the management of
3 current government operations and make recommendations of
4 cost-cutting measures.
5 WHEREAS, The economic health of this Commonwealth is a top
6 priority; and
7 WHEREAS, The tax burden of this Commonwealth's citizens and
8 businesses resulting from the cost of government operations and
9 administration can have a significant impact on the economic
10 health of this Commonwealth; and
11 WHEREAS, State government has an obligation of fiscal
12 responsibility and of limiting the tax burden it imposes; and
13 WHEREAS, Ten cents of every public dollar spent is committed
14 to general government operations; and
15 WHEREAS, There has been an organized bipartisan effort, in
16 the form of the IMPACCT Commission, which has studied State
17 government agencies and made recommendations on ways in which
18 government can be made more effective and more efficient;
1 therefore be it
2 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the IMPACCT
3 Commission, composed of leaders from the public and private
4 sectors as required by House Resolution No. 2, Printer's No. 674
5 (1995), be reestablished to build on its prior efforts to study
6 Commonwealth government operations and the experience of other
7 states and propose changes which will further reduce the cost of
8 government; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That this commission's recommendations include
10 those which:
11 (1) reduce the size of government agencies;
12 (2) provide for the orderly reduction of personnel
13 costs;
14 (3) increase cost-effectiveness;
15 (4) consolidate like functions;
16 (5) return functions and job creation opportunities to
17 the private sector; and
18 (6) eliminate State government functions, where
19 appropriate;
20 and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the commission be comprised of 17 members as
22 follows:
23 (1) Four members to be appointed by the Governor, with
24 at least three appointments being members of the general
25 public.
26 (2) Three members to be appointed by the Majority Leader
27 of the Senate and three members to be appointed by the
28 Minority Leader of the Senate, with no more than one
29 appointment from each authority being a government official
30 or employee.
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1 (3) Three members to be appointed by the Majority Leader
2 of the House of Representatives and three members to be
3 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
4 Representatives, with no more than one appointment from each
5 authority being a governmental official or employee.
6 (4) One member who shall not be a governmental official
7 or employee to serve as chairman to be chosen by the
8 Governor;
9 and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That these appointments be made within 30 days of
11 the approval of this resolution by the Senate and the House of
12 Representatives; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the commission make a report of its findings
14 and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by
15 November 30 of this year, at which time the commission shall
16 cease to exist; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the chairman rely on the existing staff of the
18 appointing authorities and the Appropriations Committee of the
19 Senate and Appropriations Committee of the House of
20 Representatives to the greatest extent possible; and be it
21 further
22 RESOLVED, That necessary and reasonable costs and
23 expenditures of the commission be authorized to be paid from
24 funds already appropriated by the General Assembly to the Office
25 of the Budget and the Office of Administration; and be it
26 further
27 RESOLVED, That the commission comply with all the duties and
28 responsibilities of a covered agency under the act of July 3,
29 1986 (P.L.388, No.84), known as the Sunshine Act.
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