ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 148 on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, by a vote of 92-60. Carried in the House by state Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), SB 148 will subject existing regulatory boards to periodic review by the Georgia Occupational Regulatory Review Council and allow the General Assembly to evaluate the efficiency of state agencies.
“In these difficult economic times, we need to carefully examine all aspects of government in order to be certain our citizens’ tax dollars are spent wisely,” said Representative Smith. “SB148 will ensure that Georgia’s regulatory boards and state agencies are functioning properly and not damaging our economy or wasting taxpayer dollars.”
The Georgia Occupation Regulatory Review Council is comprised of 10 state agency heads and legislative committee chairs who are charged with reviewing the need for proposing new occupational regulations. Under SB 148, the Council will additionally review existing regulatory boards at least once every seven years to determine if regulation is still necessary, if it provides adequate consumer protections, if it hinders job growth or exists merely as a barrier to enter into the field, along with the overall economic impact of regulation on the free market.
SB 148 also includes a measure that will provide the General Assembly with a method by which the efficiency of our state government shall be reviewed and the productivity of each agency evaluated. Specifically, this measure will allow the House and Senate Appropriations committees to come together and jointly form the “Legislative Sunset Committee.” This new committee will review all state agencies, including boards, departments, advisory committees, authorities, bureaus, offices and any other state entity of the executive branch.
Each agency will be scheduled for a review once every eight years by the Legislative Sunset Committee. When under review, an agency must provide the committee with a report outlining the agency’s efficiency and productivity and the extent to which the agency utilizes state resources. After receiving this report, the committee will review the information, hear testimony, hold public hearings, and present a “report of review” on the agency viewed by the committee. Should an agency fail to meet the committee’s requirements, the agency could have its duties repealed, revised, or reassigned. The agency could even be abolished. If any of these actions are taken, it would result in a change in state funding.
The bill now moves to the Governor for his consideration. A link to the bill can be found by clicking here.
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Representative Lynn Smith represents the citizens of District 70, which includes portions of Coweta and Heard Counties. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1996, and is currently the Chairman of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee. She also serves on the Appropriations, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, and Rules Committees.