Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                                                    FILED SENATE
                                                                                     May 19, 2020
                         GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                S.B. 820
                                     SESSION 2019           PRINCIPAL CLERK
     S                                                                   D
                             SENATE BILL DRS15522-LRa-136D*
     Short Title:   Study Budget Savings/State Contracts.                                    (Public)
     Sponsors:      Senator Lowe (Primary Sponsor).
     Referred to:
                                    A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE STUDY COMMISSION ON STATE GOVERNMENT
     CONTRACT SAVINGS TO STUDY STATE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
     METHODOLOGIES AND PRACTICES THAT WILL GENERATE BUDGETARY
     SAVINGS AND EFFICIENCIES FOR THE STATE.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
            SECTION 1. There is established the Study Commission on State Government
 Contract Savings (Commission) to study and make recommendations concerning the following:
            (1)     Ways to generate State budgetary savings through potential renegotiation and
                    modification of existing State contracts valued at twenty million
                    ($20,000,000) or more.
            (2)     The best contract engagement methods for new State contracts valued at less
                    than twenty million dollars ($20,000,000).
            (3)     State agencies failing to use existing State Term Contracts to procure common
                    goods and services.
            (4)     Redundant State agency contracts that may be consolidated into State Term
                    Contracts managed by the Department of Administration.
            (5)     Any other matter relevant to subdivisions (1) through (4) of this section.
            SECTION 2.(a) The Commission shall consist of the following members:
            (1)     The State Auditor, who shall serve as cochair.
            (2)     The Director of the Office of State Budget and Management (State Budget
                    Director), who shall serve as cochair.
            (3)     Each member of the Council of State, or the member's designee.
            (4)     Four Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of
                    Representatives.
            (5)     Two Senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
            (6)     The head of each cabinet department, or that person's designee.
            SECTION 2.(b) The Commission shall meet upon the joint call of the cochairs,
 except that the cochairs must convene the first meeting within 30 days of the date when this act
 becomes law.
            SECTION 2.(c) Due to the potentially sensitive nature of the Commission work, the
 Commission's work product is not subject to the provisions of Chapter 132 of the General
 Statutes.
            SECTION 3.(a) The Legislative Services Commission (LSC) shall grant adequate
 meeting space to the Commission in the State Legislative Building or the Legislative Office
 Building. The LSC shall allocate from a portion of the funds appropriated to the General
                               *DRS15522-LRa-136D*
     General Assembly Of North Carolina                                                  Session 2019
 Assembly sufficient funds for the operation of the Commission, as needed, in addition to
 allocating to the Commission the funds appropriated to the Commission by this act. The LSC,
 through the Legislative Services Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the Commission
 in its work. The Directors of Legislative Assistants for the House of Representatives and the
 Senate shall assign clerical staff to the Commission, and the expenses relating to the clerical
 employees shall be borne by the Commission. The Commission may contract for professional,
 clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02. Members of the Commission shall
 receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates provided in G.S. 120-3.1, 138-5, or 138-6, as
 appropriate.
              SECTION 3.(b) In addition to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the
 Office of the State Auditor, the Office of State Budget and Management, and the Fiscal Research
 Division shall provide staffing, technical, and other support to the Commission.
              SECTION 4. The Commission shall submit quarterly reports and then a final report
 on the results of its study, including any proposed legislation, to the General Assembly on or
 before May 1, 2021, by filing a copy of the report with the Offices of the Speaker of the House
 of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The Commission shall terminate
 on May 1, 2021, or upon the filing of the final report, whichever occurs first.
              SECTION 5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly
 the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the 2020-2021 fiscal year to fund the
 work of the Commission.
              SECTION 6. This act is effective when it becomes law, except that Section 5 of this
 act becomes effective July 1, 2020.
     Page 2                                                                   DRS15522-LRa-136D*
