Florida Senate - 2009 CS for SB 44-A
By the Committee on Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and
Means and Senator Alexander
576-00129-09A 200944Ac1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to governmental operations; requiring
3 state agencies to review existing and proposed
4 contracts for the purpose of reducing contract
5 payments; authorizing agencies to renegotiate
6 contracts; providing for future expiration of such
7 provisions; establishing the policy of the state
8 concerning limitations on travel by state employees
9 for a specified period; providing for certain
10 exceptions; requiring that agencies consider using
11 electronic communications; requiring the Office of
12 Program Policy Analysis and Governmental
13 Accountability, in consultation with the Department of
14 Management Services, to develop recommendations
15 regarding the prudent issuance and use of state-owned
16 wireless communications devices; requiring a report to
17 the Legislature; requiring the Department of
18 Management Services to compile a list of and review
19 state-owned surplus real property of greater than a
20 specified value; providing requirements for the
21 review; requiring a report to the Legislature and the
22 Executive Office of the Governor; requiring that the
23 Chief Financial Officer consider methods to ensure
24 that state agencies receive the maximum federal funds
25 to which the state is entitled; requiring the Chief
26 Financial Officer to make recommendations to the
27 Office of Policy and Budget and the legislative
28 appropriations committees; requiring each state agency
29 to ensure the receipt of maximum federal funds to
30 which the agency is entitled based on its current
31 services; requiring the office to examine whether a
32 private entity should be used to recover fraudulent
33 Medicaid claims; requiring the office to examine the
34 use of alternative placements for low-risk inmates;
35 requiring reports to the Legislature by a specified
36 date; providing an effective date.
37
38 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
39
40 Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
41 contrary, each state agency shall review existing and proposed
42 contracts with private providers and public-private providers in
43 an effort to reduce contract payments. It is the statewide goal
44 to achieve substantial savings; however, it is the intent of the
45 Legislature that the level and quality of services not be
46 affected. Each agency may renegotiate contracts consistent with
47 this section. The Legislature intends that its substantive and
48 fiscal committees will review the results of this effort and the
49 effectiveness of each agency in meeting the goal. This section
50 expires July 1, 2009.
51 Section 2. It is the policy of the state that funds
52 appropriated to each state agency which may be used for travel
53 by state employees be limited, until July 1, 2009, to travel for
54 activities that are critical to the state agency's mission.
55 Funds may not be used to pay for travel by state employees to
56 foreign countries, other states, conferences, staff-training
57 activities, or other administrative functions unless the
58 respective agency head has determined that such activities are
59 critical to the agency's mission. Travel for law enforcement
60 purposes, military purposes, emergency management activities,
61 and public health activities is not covered by this section. The
62 agency head, or his or her designee, must consider the use of
63 teleconferencing and other forms of electronic communication to
64 meet the needs of the proposed activity before approving
65 mission-critical travel.
66 Section 3. (1) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
67 Governmental Accountability, in consultation with the Department
68 of Management Services, shall develop recommendations regarding
69 the prudent issuance and use of state-owned wireless
70 communications devices, including wireless telephones, personal
71 digital assistants, and other electronic devices. In developing
72 these recommendations, the office shall consider, at a minimum:
73 (a) The need for the wireless communications device;
74 (b) The need for the employee to be available via such
75 wireless communications device;
76 (c) The accountability for issuance of such wireless
77 communications devices;
78 (d) The possibility of sharing such wireless communications
79 devices;
80 (e) Methods to reduce the issuance and use of such wireless
81 communications devices;
82 (f) Whether reimbursing employees for calls on personal
83 wireless telephones might be cost-effective in some instances;
84 (g) What controls are necessary for the prudent management
85 of such wireless communications devices; and
86 (h) Any available cost-saving measures that could be
87 considered.
88 (2) The office shall report its findings and estimated cost
89 savings to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
90 House of Representatives by March 3, 2009.
91 Section 4. The Department of Management Services shall
92 compile a list of all state-owned surplus real property that has
93 a value greater than $1,000 in order to determine potential cost
94 savings and revenue opportunities from the sale or lease of
95 assets. The review shall include a cost-benefit analysis of any
96 proposed facility disposition, including the facility’s current
97 operating expenses, condition, projected capital depreciation
98 costs, and market value, and the effect of the proposed
99 facility’s disposition on the state’s financial status,
100 including the effect on rental rates and the coverage
101 requirement for bonds. In addition, the review shall identify
102 current contracts for leased office space in which the leased
103 space is not fully used or occupied and include a plan for
104 contract renegotiation or subletting unoccupied space. The
105 department shall submit a report of its findings and
106 recommendations to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of
107 the House of Representatives, and the Executive Office of the
108 Governor by March 3, 2009.
109 Section 5. (1) The Chief Financial Officer, as head of the
110 Department of Financial Services, shall consider methods to
111 ensure that state agencies receive the maximum amount of federal
112 funds to which the state is entitled based on the services it
113 currently provides. The Chief Financial Officer shall make
114 recommendations to the Office of Policy and Budget and the
115 legislative appropriations committees by March 3, 2009.
116 (2) Each state agency shall review its operations to ensure
117 that the state receives the maximum amount of federal funds to
118 which it is entitled based on the services the agency currently
119 provides.
120 Section 6. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
121 Government Accountability shall examine the option of
122 contracting with a private entity to identify and recover
123 fraudulent Medicaid claims on a contingency-fee basis and submit
124 its findings and recommendations to the Legislature before March
125 3, 2009.
126 Section 7. The Office of Program Policy Analysis and
127 Government Accountability shall examine the option of expanding
128 the use of alternative inmate placements, such as work-release
129 and work camps, for low-risk inmates and submit its findings and
130 recommendations to the Legislature before March 3, 2009.
131 Section 8. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.