Our Florida House of Representatives leaders have called for legislation requiring the review of state agencies every eight years - and abolishing those that outlive their usefulness.
The new law, called the “Government Accountability Act”, would create a 12-member commission: five senators, five representatives and two outside appointees chosen by the speaker and Senate president. The Legislature would set an eight-year timetable for each agency's review. The commission would recommend whether agencies should stay the same, reorganize, get new duties, shed old ones, be merged or be abolished.
Unless the Legislature acted, departments would automatically be abolished. Legislators could change the schedule, triggering a review in less than eight years. The eight-year timetable coincides with the term limits of legislators, governors and Cabinet officers. In most cases, it would mean a department would have to justify itself to virtually a whole new Legislature each time it came up for reauthorization.
Departments headed by constitutional officers, such as the attorney general or chief justice, would be exempt from abolition.
Texas set up a review commission in 1977 and since then has consolidated 11 agencies while abolishing 47 agencies or boards. Texas has saved an estimated $736.9 million by eliminating agencies or functions of departments.
Florida has had a more limited procedure known as "sunset" for periodic review of laws governing departments and agencies that have regulatory powers and "sundown" for review of boards, commissions and councils created to advise state agencies. The Legislature has created new agencies and merged old ones, but there is no mandated abolition of departments in current law.
We would like to know what you think about this proposed legislation:
Are you supportive of the “Government Accountability Act” for improving the effectiveness of our state government? Why or why not?
