HD3 - Final Report of the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Operations, Practices, Duties and Funding of the Commonwealth's Agencies, Boards, Commissions, Councils and other Governmental Entities


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 159 (HJR 159), passed by the 2002 General Assembly, created the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Operations, Practices, Duties and Funding of the Commonwealth's Agencies, Boards, Commissions, Councils and Other Governmental Entities (the Subcommittee). HJR 159 directed the Subcommittee to carry out a two-year study. In 2002, the Subcommittee focused on collegial bodies within the Executive Branch. In 2003, the Subcommittee continued to focus on Executive Branch collegial bodies and expanded its focus to agency reporting requirements and special fund accounts administered by Executive Branch agencies.

The Subcommittee met four times during 2003. The Subcommittee continued to collect information about collegial bodies and receive input from the Executive Branch. Also in 2003, the Subcommittee surveyed Executive Branch agencies to collect information about agency reporting requirements and special fund accounts.

The Subcommittee focused its attention on a continued review of: collegial bodies and related issues; reporting requirements identified by agencies as being obsolete, duplicative, and unnecessary; and special fund accounts identified by agencies as being dormant or inactive. Based on its review and deliberations, the Subcommittee recommended:

• The elimination of 12 collegial bodies, including the consolidation of two bodies into one, the amendment of the statutes of three collegial bodies and the elimination of a program;
• The codification of a definition for "collegial body";
• The elimination or revision of 43 reporting requirements, including the elimination of 18 from the Code of Virginia, the elimination or revision of 13 in the Appropriation Act, and 12 that could be eliminated or revised administratively;
• The creation of a comprehensive and searchable list of reports due to the General Assembly to be maintained on the General Assembly web site;
• The repeal of the responsibilities of the Department of General Services regarding .agency publications;
• The reduction of the maximum number of copies (from 100 to 20) of reports and publications that agencies are to submit to the Library of Virginia;
• A study to update the Virginia Public Records Act regarding the archiving of electronic documents; and
• The elimination of 13 dormant or inactive special fund accounts and the sunset of nine programs and one foundation affiliated with nine of these accounts.

Legislation was drafted and introduced by Subcommittee members to initiate General Assembly consideration of the Subcommittee's recommendations. The Subcommittee sent letters to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees and the Department of Planning and Budget recommending that the identified reporting requirements in the Appropriation Act be removed or revised during the drafting of the upcoming biennial budget.

HJR 159 directed the Subcommittee to submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2004 Session of the General Assembly. The Subcommittee approved the report on November 14, 2003. The report is set out in five chapters. Chapter I describes the scope of the first- and second-year efforts of the Subcommittee. Chapter II summarizes the activities and outcomes of the four Subcommittee meetings in 2003. Chapter III describes the study methodology and presents the recommendations of the Subcommittee regarding collegial bodies. Chapter IV describes the study methodology and presents the recommendations of the Subcommittee regarding agency reporting requirements. Chapter V describes the study methodology and presents the recommendations of the Subcommittee regarding dormant and inactive special fund accounts.