CHAPTER 222
H.P. 97 - L.D. 121
An Act To Improve Communication, Cooperation and Efficiencies in State Government
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§75-C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 696, §1, is amended to read:
Legislative Per Diem and Expenses for Legis- lators and expenses only for certain members |
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §2181, as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §64 and affected by §§72 and 74 and c. 12, Pt. WW, §18, is further amended to read:
§2181. Intergovernmental Advisory Commission
The Intergovernmental Advisory Group Commission, established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 75-C and referred to in this chapter as "the advisory group commission," shall work on ways to improve communication, cooperation and efficiencies within all 3 branches of government and provide state assistance to encourage regionalization and cost-effective service delivery.
1. Advisory commission membership. The advisory group commission consists of the following 17 19 members:
A. One member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;
B. One member of the House of Representatives who is not a member of the same political party as the Senator appointed under paragraph A, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
C. Three members who must be state agency or department heads or their designees, appointed by the Governor. The Governor may appoint the fiscal administrator of the unorganized territory in lieu of an agency or department head;
D. Five members appointed by the Governor who represent regional governments, 3 of whom must be county officials recommended by a statewide association of county commissioners and 2 of whom must represent regional planning agencies, councils of government or other regional bodies;
E. Five members appointed by the Governor who represent local government, 3 of whom must be municipal officials recommended by a statewide municipal association and 2 of whom must represent school administrative units or other special-purpose districts that represent 2 or more municipalities; and
F. Two members appointed by the Governor who represent nongovernmental entities with experience in regionalization, consolidation and customer service, one from the not-for-profit sector and one from the for-profit sector.; and
G. Two members appointed by the Governor who represent public safety, one of whom must be a municipal official recommended by a statewide organization representing public safety interests and one of whom must be a county official recommended by a statewide association of county commissioners.
The Governor shall appoint at least 3 members from each of 3 regions defined as follows: Region 1: Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington counties; Region 2: Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo counties; and Region 3: Cumberland and York counties. The Governor shall make every effort to ensure a geographic diversity of membership from each region.
2. Chairs. The 2 legislative members of the advisory group commission are the cochairs.
3. Terms of appointment. The terms of appointment are as follows.
A. Of the initial gubernatorial appointments, 5 must be for terms of 3 years, 5 must be for terms of 2 years and 5 must be for terms of one year.
B. Subsequent gubernatorial appointments must be for terms of 3 years, except that, if a member is unable to complete the term, the Governor shall appoint a person to serve out the remainder of the unexpired term.
C. The term for an elected official must be for the term of office of the person appointed.
D. A member may not serve for more than 6 years. A member may continue to serve until a replacement is designated.
4. Duties. The advisory group commission shall:
A. Study ways to reduce duplication and improve efficiency among all 3 branches of State Government as well as within each branch;
B. Promote communication, cooperation and efficient delivery of services, including collecting data on current efforts to regionalize service delivery statewide;
C. Design and implement processes by which the State may offer guidance, technical support and incentives to encourage regionalization and efficiency of service delivery by all 3 branches of government;
D. Work with local and regional entities to design and implement pilot programs that result in cost savings or improved services through regionalization or other efficiency efforts;
E. Identify best management practices and make this information available to the public, including, but not limited to, best management practices that facilitate property tax rate reduction pursuant to the increasing state share of the total cost of essential programs and services under Title 20-A, chapter 606-B;
F. Prepare legislation for submission to the Legislature to implement any recommendations of the advisory group commission on or before December 1st annually; and
G. Report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters annually in January on the activities and effectiveness of the group commission and recommend changes to the group's commission's organizational structure.
5. Meetings. The advisory group commission may meet up to 4 times a year. The advisory commission may meet up to 6 more times a year if the advisory commission raises funds as outlined in subsection 8 to compensate members.
6. Attendance. If a member of the advisory group commission fails to notify the chairs about an absence from a meeting more than one time, the original appointing authority may appoint a replacement.
7. Staff assistance. The Executive Department, State Planning Office shall provide all necessary staffing and support services for the advisory group commission. The State Planning Office shall designate an individual as the intergovernmental coordinator. The purpose of the coordinator is to encourage improved governmental cooperation, efficiencies in service delivery and coordination of regional and cooperative efforts initiated through state departments and agencies.
8. Funding. The advisory group commission is authorized to seek, accept and expend funding to carry out the advisory group's commission's program activities, subject to approval by the Director of the State Planning Office within the Executive Department. All funds accepted must be forwarded to the Director of the State Planning Office, who shall administer all funds received by the advisory group commission. The State Planning Office must transfer sufficient funds to the Legislature for the payment of per diem and expenses to Legislators for their attendance at any additional meetings.
9. Compensation. Legislative members of the advisory group commission are entitled to receive the legislative per diem as defined in Title 3, section 2 and reimbursement for expenses according to Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 75-C. Public members not otherwise compensated by their employers or other entities that they represent are entitled to receive reimbursement of necessary expenses incurred for their attendance at authorized meetings of the advisory group commission from the Executive Department, State Planning Office, subject to the approval of the Director of the State Planning Office.
10. Quorum; actions. A quorum is a majority of the members of the advisory group commission. An affirmative vote of the majority of the members present at a meeting is required for any action.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
LEGISLATURE
Legislature - Intergovernmental Advisory Commission 0081
Initiative: Allocates funds for the per diem and expenses for the legislative members of the commission for 6 additional meetings.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE
FUNDS 2005-06 2006-07
Personal Services $660 $660
All Other $600 $600
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE
FUNDS TOTAL $1,260 $1,260
Sec. 4. Maine Revised Statutes amended; revision clause. Wherever in the Maine Revised Statutes the words "Intergovernmental Advisory Group" appears or reference is made to that entity or those words, those words are amended to read or mean, as appropriate, "Intergovernmental Advisory Commission" or "commission," and the Revisor of Statutes shall implement this revision when updating, publishing or republishing the statutes.
Effective September 17, 2005.
| Revisor of Statutes Homepage | Subject Index | Search | 122nd Laws of Maine | Maine Legislature |
About the 1st Regular & 1st Special Session Laws Of Maine
