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2000 SESSION

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006281824
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Rules on February 11, 2000) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Marshall) Establishing a joint subcommittee to study authorities created by general and special act the General Assembly.

WHEREAS, over the past thirty years, the General Assembly has created through special law hundreds of independent authorities and in many instances granted to localities through general law the power to create still other authorities within their jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, these authorities are typically structured as quasi-public entities, having many of the privileges of public corporations, including in many instances the ability to operate and control millions of dollars in revenue, but none of the basic requirements for adhering to rules established for the general operation of government; and

WHEREAS, there is no provision or requirement for public or other accountability by these authorities; and

WHEREAS, the Auditor of Public Accounts conducted a review of authorities in 1999 and concluded that the General Assembly may wish to study the powers such entities should be granted to achieve greater consistency, whether an oversight organization should in someway monitor authorities, and whether there should be maintained a comprehensive listing of the authorities created by general and special law; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study authorities created by general and special acts of the General Assembly. The joint subcommittee shall be composed of eight members as follows: five members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker, in accordance with the principles of Rule 16 of the Rules of the House of Delegates, and three members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall review the powers and responsibilities granted by the General Assembly to authorities, review the recommendations and findings of the 1999 Auditor of Public Accounts report, and determine whether the powers and other actions and expenditures by authorities should be subject to periodic review, and if so, by whom.

The direct costs of this study shall not exceed $8,750.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may withhold expenditures or delay the period for the conduct of the study.