Bill Text: HI SR70 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Position Count Ceilings; Unauthorized Positions

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-23 - Referred to JDL, WAM. [SR70 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-SR70-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	70
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the implementation OF position count ceiLINGS for PERMANENT and TEMPORARY POSITIONs in the executive branch and A prohibition on the establishment of "unauthorized positions".

 

 

     WHEREAS, under present practice, the General Appropriations Act and Supplemental Appropriations Act authorize "ceilings", or maximum counts, for permanent positions in the various executive departments; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Acts do not set similar ceilings for temporary positions; and

 

     WHEREAS, statutes also exempt numerous positions from having to be established under the General Appropriations Act or Supplemental Appropriations Act, resulting in the loss of legislative discretion over the budget for such "unauthorized positions"; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Senate finds that responsible budget and fiscal policy requires the exertion of more legislative control over temporary position ceilings and unauthorized positions; and

 

     WHEREAS, increased legislative control will strengthen oversight of state government appropriations, promote transparency in budgeting, and enhance awareness of estimated future spending needs and retiree benefit obligations; and

 

WHEREAS, the Senate understands that the imposition of a stricter position count ceiling in the immediate future may not be possible because of the inadequacies of the Department of Budget and Finance's information technology system; and

 

WHEREAS, nevertheless, the Senate finds that the Department should begin work towards implementation of a stricter position count ceiling in future executive budgets; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Department of Budget and Finance is requested to propose legislation and a timetable to:

 

(1)  Set position count ceilings for permanent and temporary positions in the General Appropriations Act or Supplemental Appropriations Act; and

 

(2)  Prohibit the establishment and funding of positions that are not authorized in the General Appropriations Act or Supplemental Appropriations Act, except when the establishment of the positions cannot await the legislative budget cycle; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Budget and Finance also is requested to provide an estimate of the cost to upgrade its information technology system to establish, collect, maintain, and update data on permanent and temporary position count ceilings in the General Appropriations Act and Supplemental Appropriations Act; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2016, the Department of Budget and Finance is requested to submit a report to this body with the proposed legislation, timetable, and estimated cost; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Finance.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Position Count Ceilings; Unauthorized Positions