AJR213

A Joint Resolution establishing a New Jersey Delegation on Government Efficiency.

Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. There is established a New Jersey Delegation on Government Efficiency (DOGE) in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury. The purpose of the DOGE shall be to examine various aspects of State government to determine how to better save public funds and how to implement greater efficiencies in government functions.

b. The DOGE shall consist of the State Auditor, or a designee, who shall serve as chairperson, and up to 20 members of the public who shall be selected and appointed by the Delegation on Government Efficiency Selection Committee pursuant to the process established under subsection c. of this section. The selection committee shall consist of the following members:

(1) the Governor, or a designee;

(2) the President of the Senate, or a designee;

(3) the Speaker of the General Assembly, or a designee;

(4) the Minority Leader of the Senate, or a designee; and

(5) the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, or a designee.

c. The selection committee shall select and appoint the public members of the DOGE from among qualified persons who submit applications to the selection committee. An applicant shall be appointed upon the approval of at least four members of the selection committee. The selection committee shall issue a public notice on the Internet sites of each principal department in the Executive Branch of State government, the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and the Legislature soliciting applications for public membership. The public notice shall include, but may not be limited to, instructions on how to apply to be a public member of the DOGE, details of the position requirements and approval process, and a description of the duties of a public DOGE member. The position requirements shall be developed and approved by at least four members of the selection committee and shall include, at a minimum:

(1) appropriate and relevant experience of the applicant in presiding over, managing, or conducting performance audits on any large public or private enterprise; and

(2) a statement of potential conflicts of interest from the applicant.

The chairperson of the DOGE may dismiss a public DOGE member for any reason, including upon the discovery of unreported conflicts of interest. Vacancies among the public membership of the DOGE due to dismissal or voluntary leave shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

The selection committee may set an hourly or per diem rate to be paid to the approved public members for the duration of their tenure on the DOGE. The chairperson of the DOGE may recommend to the selection committee such changes to an hourly or per diem rate established by the selection committee as the chairperson deems appropriate to attract and retain public members of the DOGE. The establishment of and any changes to the hourly or per diem rate shall be subject to the approval of at least four members of the selection committee.

d. The meetings of the DOGE shall be held at the call of the chairperson at the times and in the places necessary and appropriate to fulfill its duties and responsibilities. Meetings of the DOGE shall be subject to the “Open Public Meetings Act,” P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.).

e. The Department of the Treasury shall provide staff support to the DOGE. The DOGE shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as the DOGE may require and as may be available to the DOGE for its purposes.

f. It shall be the duty of the DOGE to examine various aspects of State government to determine and report on how to:

(1) better save public funds; and

(2) implement greater efficiencies in government functions, including, but not limited to, the elimination of any agency or government function.

The chairperson shall develop a procedure by which members of the public may suggest actions or areas of review that may assist the DOGE in determining how to better save public funds and how to implement greater efficiencies in government functions.

g. Within 20 months of the DOGE’s first meeting, the DOGE shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on its findings and recommendations by issuing a report upon the conclusion of its work. The report shall be publicly available on the Department of the Treasury’s Internet website.

2. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the New Jersey Delegation on Government Efficiency’s report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a New Jersey Delegation on Government Efficiency (DOGE). The DOGE will examine various aspects of State government to determine how to better save public funds and how to implement greater efficiencies in government functions, including, but not limited to, the elimination of any agency or government function.

The bill is intended to create a State-level version of the “Department of Government Efficiency” program initiated by the current federal administration. The bill structures the hiring and supervision of DOGE members to be as nonpartisan and independent as possible.

While responsible government stewardship of taxpayer dollars should always be a priority, it is a particularly acute need now that the State is grappling with a multi-billion dollar structural deficit, meaning the budget is billions short of revenue to pay for its level of spending. With the continuation of full pension payments and the upcoming need to fund the Stay NJ property tax relief program for seniors, reductions and efficiencies in other State spending must be addressed to ensure such priorities can be maintained.

The DOGE will consist of the State Auditor, or a designee, who will serve as chairperson, and up to 20 members of the public who will be selected and appointed by the Delegation on Government Efficiency Selection Committee. The selection committee will include the following members:

(1) the Governor, or a designee;

(2) the President of the Senate, or a designee;

(3) the Speaker of the General Assembly, or a designee;

(4) the Minority Leader of the Senate, or a designee; and

(5) the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, or a designee.

The selection committee will select and appoint public members of the DOGE from among qualified persons who submit applications to the selection committee for membership on the DOGE. An applicant will require the approval of at least four members of the selection committee to be selected and appointed to the DOGE. This ensures bipartisan agreement.

The selection committee will issue a public notice on the Internet sites of each principal department in the Executive Branch of State government, the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and the Legislature soliciting applications for public membership. The public notice will include, at a minimum, instructions on how to apply to be a public member of the DOGE, details of the position requirements and approval process, and a description of the duties of a public DOGE member. The position requirements will be developed and approved by at least four members of the selection committee to ensure bipartisan agreement, and will include, at a minimum, appropriate and relevant experience of the applicant in presiding over, managing, or conducting performance audits on any large public or private enterprise, and a statement of potential conflicts of interest from the applicant. The chairperson of the DOGE may dismiss a public DOGE member for any reason, including upon the discovery of unreported conflicts of interest. Vacancies among the public membership of the DOGE due to dismissal or voluntary leave will be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

The selection committee may set an hourly or per diem rate to be paid to the approved public members for the duration of their tenure on the DOGE. The chairperson of the DOGE may recommend to the selection committee changes to the hourly or per diem rate established by the selection committee as the chairperson deems appropriate to attract and retain public members of the DOGE. The establishment of and any changes to the hourly or per diem rate will be subject to the approval of at least four members of the selection committee.

The chairperson of the DOGE will develop a procedure by which members of the public may suggest actions or areas of review that may assist the DOGE in determining how to better save public funds and how to implement greater efficiencies in government functions.

The DOGE will meet at the call of the chairperson at the times and in the places necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities. Within 20 months after the its first meeting, the DOGE will issue a report to the Governor and the Legislature on its findings and recommendations upon the conclusion of its work. The report will be publicly available on the Department of the Treasury’s Internet website.