Bill Text: NJ S1983 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires reduction in number of State vehicles over five fiscal years based on cost analysis.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [S1983 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1983-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Requires reduction in number of State vehicles over five fiscal years based on cost analysis.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the reduction in the number of State vehicles, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes and amending P.L.2007, c.108.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. For the purposes of this section:
"Vehicle" means a motor vehicle that is required to be registered with or licensed by the Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to the provisions of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, but not including aircraft and watercraft, and not including vehicles of the Division of State Police or the Division of Gaming Enforcement in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or vehicles and equipment used for construction, maintenance, or emergency services purposes; and
"State" means the Executive Branch of State government, but not including the Division of State Police or the Division of Gaming Enforcement in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or an independent authority, commission, board, agency, or instrumentality of the State or an institution of higher education of the State.
b. Within six months of the effective date of this act, P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), the State Treasurer shall have prepared a cost analysis of the State vehicle fleet, with the goal of reducing the number of State vehicles by 10 percent each year over five consecutive fiscal years.
The cost analysis shall be conducted pursuant to a contract awarded by the State in accordance with the State contracting laws to an entity having expertise in the area of best practices in fleet management and optimization. The analysis shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of vehicle usage, acquisition and cycling or replacement decisions and the utilization of engine technologies for optimal performance. The analysis shall contain recommendations regarding the goal of reducing the number of State vehicles.
Within three months of the Treasurer's receipt of the cost analysis, a panel comprised of the State Treasurer, a member of the Governor's staff designated by the Governor, and the commissioners, or designees, of the three departments of State government that have the most vehicle usage shall review, and approve or modify the recommendations in the cost analysis, and shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the reduction in the number of State vehicles based on the recommendations as approved or modified. The panel shall also review the assignment, use, and continued need for each State vehicle in order to determine whether that assignment, use, or need should be continued, eliminated, or transferred.
Beginning with the fiscal year that commences more than six months after the adoption of the plan, the plan shall provide for the systematic reduction of the State vehicle fleet by 10 percent each year for five consecutive fiscal years, or as otherwise adopted by the panel in its plan. If the panel decides that the reduction goal cannot be implemented in five fiscal years, it shall provide a statement detailing the panel's reasoning and conclusion and specifying how many additional fiscal years, not to exceed three fiscal years, will be required to achieve the reduction goal.
The Department of the Treasury shall provide necessary personnel and assistance to the panel.
Upon approval of the comprehensive plan, a copy shall be provided to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.
c. Each annual appropriation law that is enacted for the consecutive fiscal years beginning with the fiscal year that commences more than six months after the adoption of the comprehensive plan shall provide for the reduction in the funding for the State vehicle accounts to implement the reduction in the comprehensive plan for that fiscal year.
d. Beginning after the adoption of the comprehensive plan, any request for an additional State vehicle to be added to the State fleet, not including replacement vehicles, shall be reviewed by the panel. The panel shall either deny or approve a request for an additional State vehicle. The panel shall develop criteria that it shall use in its determinations. The criteria shall address, but need not be limited to, the duties and requirements of the position requiring a State vehicle, the funding source for the State vehicle, the existence of other substantially similar positions that are assigned a State vehicle, the period of time for which the State vehicle will be needed, the essential or supportive nature of the State vehicle, and whether an existing State vehicle may be transferred for the same purpose. The panel's denial or approval shall be considered final and binding, and shall be accompanied by a statement detailing the panel's reasoning and conclusion on each element of the criteria considered.
The panel shall submit detailed quarterly reports of its activities, denials, and approvals to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.
e. The sale of State vehicles in compliance with this section shall be upon such terms and conditions as the State Treasurer shall determine to be in the best interests of the State and shall be by any method of sale that maximizes revenue to the State in accordance with any applicable requirements of law, rule or regulation. The proceeds from the sale of State vehicles shall be deposited, appropriated, and utilized as prescribed in accordance with section 1 of P.L.2007, c.108 (C.52:31-1.3b), as amended by this act.
2. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.108 (C.52:31-1.3b) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a special, non-lapsing fund into which shall be deposited the proceeds of the sale of any surplus State-owned real property which has been approved for sale or conveyance by the State House Commission pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1997, c.135 (C.52:31-1.3a) after the effective date of P.L.2007, c.108, and into which shall be deposited the proceeds of the sale of State vehicles pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), unless another disposition of such proceeds is specified by statute. The monies in the fund are dedicated and shall be used only to carry out the purposes described in subsection b. of this section. The fund shall be credited with all interest received from the investment of monies in the fund, and any monies which, from time to time, may otherwise become available for the purposes of the fund. Pending the use thereof pursuant to the provisions of subsection b. of this section, the monies deposited in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories, as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be invested or reinvested in such securities as are approved by the State Treasurer.
b. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used only for the relief of State debt or to assist in funding capital improvement projects undertaken by the State. The allocation of such money from the fund shall be made upon the recommendation of the Governor for the annual appropriations act, together with a detailed description of the purpose for which the monies will be used. The money shall be expended only upon appropriation in the annual appropriations act and only for the specified purposes.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.108, s.1)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The purpose of this bill is to reduce the number of State vehicles in the Executive Branch of State government by 10% each fiscal year for five consecutive years, or as determined by a State panel based on a cost analysis of the State vehicle fleet. The bill exempts the vehicles of the Division of State Police and the Division of Gaming Enforcement in the Department of Law and Public Safety, and also exempts vehicles and equipment used for construction, maintenance, or emergency services purposes, from the provisions of the bill.
Within six months following the effective date of the bill, the Treasurer will have prepared a cost analysis of the State vehicle fleet, pursuant to a State contract award, by an entity with expertise in the area of best practices for fleet management and optimization. Within three months following the Treasurer's receipt of the cost analysis, a panel comprised of the State Treasurer, a member of the Governor's staff, and the commissioners, or their designees, of three departments of State government with the most vehicles usage, will review, and approve or modify the recommendations in the cost analysis and adopt a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of State vehicles by 10 percent each fiscal year for five consecutive years, or as otherwise adopted by the panel in its plan. If the panel decides that the reduction goal cannot be accomplished in five fiscal years, it must provide a statement specifying how many additional fiscal years, not to exceed three fiscal years, will be required to achieve the reduction goal. A copy of the plan will be provided to the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.
Each annual appropriation law for the consecutive fiscal years beginning with the fiscal year commencing more than six months after the adoption of the plan must provide for the reduction in funding for the State vehicle accounts to implement the reduction in the comprehensive plan for that fiscal year.
Beginning after the adoption of the comprehensive plan, any request for an additional State vehicle, not including a replacement vehicle, will be reviewed by the panel. The panel will either deny or approve a request for an additional State vehicle, and will develop criteria for use in its determinations. The panel's denial or approval will be final and binding and accompanied by a statement detailing the panel's reasoning and conclusion.
The proceeds from the sale of any State vehicle sold pursuant to the provisions of the bill will be deposited into the special, non-lapsing fund into which is deposited the proceeds of the sale of State-owned real property. This fund is dedicated to the relief of State debt or to assist in funding capital improvement projects undertaken by the State. The money will be expended only upon appropriation in the annual appropriations act and only for the specified purposes.
