Brief (1)
HB 2570, as amended by the Senate Ways and Means Committee, creates an 11-member Task Force to study the consolidation of public safety agencies.
The Task Force would consist of 11 members including: one member of the House Appropriations Committee to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one member of the House Judiciary Committee to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one member of the House appointed by the Minority Leader of the House; one member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one member of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader; and five members to be appointed by the Governor. Two of the Governor's appointments would come from local law enforcement agencies. None of the Governor's appointments could be members of the Legislature.
The House Appropriations Committee member appointed by the Speaker would call and preside at the first meeting of the Task Force. At the first meeting, the Task Force would elect a chair and vice chair. The Task Force would be authorized to meet at any place in the state on call of the chairperson, but is required to meet at least quarterly.
The Task Force is charged with reviewing the feasibility and efficiencies that would be achieved by consolidating all public safety functions of state agencies. Those state agencies and functions include, but are not limited to: the Kansas Highway Patrol; the State Fire Marshal; the Ombudsman of Corrections; the Juvenile Justice Authority; the Kansas Parole Board; the Kansas Bureau of Investigation; the Board of Emergency Medical Services; the Division of Emergency Management of the Adjutant General's Office; the Department of Corrections; the Kansas Sentencing Commission; and the Alcoholic Beverage Control program of the Department of Revenue.
Should the Task Force determine that consolidation of some or all of the state agencies or functions is feasible and would create efficiencies, the Task Force would prepare recommendations on the proposed organization and budgetary ramifications of consolidation of those agencies or functions into a cabinet level department.
The Task Force would be required to submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislative Budget Committee, the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight, and the Governor on or before January 1, 2001.
Background
The Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill to add an additional two gubernatorial appointments. Additionally, the amendment requires two of the Governor's appointments to represent local law enforcement agencies and excludes members of the Legislature from being among the Governor's appointments. The Senate Committee also amended the bill to change the date on which the Task Force is required to make its reports from November 1, 2000 to January 1, 2001.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html