Senate Joint Resolution 96, enacted by the 1977 General Assembly, directed the Governor to review statutory grants of authority to executive department boards, councils, commissions, departments and  agencies, and the rules, regulations, standards, orders and other actions of such bodies, to determine whether or not statutes are lacking in adequate guidelines and limitations, and to ensure that rules,  regulations, standards, orders or other actions are consistent with and do not exceed statutory grants of power. The Resolution obligated the Governor to present findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by January 11, 1978.

To conduct the study, Secretary of Administration and Finance Maurice B. Rowe, on behalf of the Governor, established a Task Force representing the six secretarial areas in the Executive Department. Mrs. Pat Perkinson, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, served as Chairman of the Task Force and representative of Secretary Rowe and the agencies in his Office of Administration and Finance. Others named by their respective Secretaries were William E. Breen, MIS Director, representing Secretary Earl J. Shiflet and the agencies in the Office of Commerce and Resources; Charles A. Brooks, Human Resources Developer, representing Secretary Woodrow W. Wilkerson and the Office of Human Resources; Jack Heishman, Special Assistant, representing Secretary H. Selwyn Smith and the Office of Public Safety; Dr. Everett B. Howerton, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Field Services, Department of Education, representing Secretary Robert R. Ramsey and the Office of Education; and Frank W. Sencindiver, Assistant Commissioner, Citizen Services Program, Division of Motor Vehicles, representing Secretary Wayne Witham and the Office of Transportation.

Several technical advisors assisted the Task Force. Among them were Robert Perrow, Assistant Attorney General; Edward C. Tosh, Staff Attorney, Virginia Code Commission; Dr. Joseph P. Roberts, Research Supervisor, Division of Education Research and Statistics, Department of Education; William B. Rowland, Jr., Chief Analyst, Department of Planning and Budget; and Mrs. Trudy, who served as liaison for the Governor's Counsel, Robert D. McIlwaine, III, Mrs. Myra Federspiel, Research Assistant, Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, served as secretary to the Task Force.