Gov. Rick Perry today received recommendations from the Task Force on Unfunded Mandates, which he appointed in February to identify burdensome, unfunded mandates that have been passed down from the state to local governments. The governor’s office will review the report and work with lawmakers and state agencies to determine which recommendations should be implemented.
Comprised of nine local government officials from across the state, the task force identified mandates in areas including education, public safety, transportation, jails, public health, retirement systems, human resources, public information, state judiciary, environmental regulation, licensing and elections.
For the complete report: http://governor.state.tx.us/files/press-office/5-6_Unfunded_Mandates_Narrative.pdf
Report Key Recommendations:
EDUCATION
- Provide student-teacher ratio flexibility
- Repeal expenditure restrictions on compensatory education funds
- Provide block grants for public education
- Require a periodic sunset review for the Texas Education Code
PUBLIC SAFETY
- Provide flexibility for purchase of firefighting equipment
- Align firefighting statutes and rules to ensure clear, consistent standards
- Provide flexibility to ensure basic water supply in emergencies
- County elected representatives should govern county employee compensation
TRANSPORTATION
- Allow local governments to retain proceeds from red light cameras
- Allow county governments to recover a higher portion of overweight vehicle costs or repeal the mandate that Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) overweight permits apply to county roads and state roads
JAILS
- Align state and county jail standards
- Shorten duration a county jail must hold inmates
- Reimburse counties for holding parole violators or allow them to be sent to state facilities
- Reimburse counties for housing defendants found incompetent to stand trial or send them to state facilities
- Provide staff-offender ratio flexibility for juvenile detention facilities
PUBLIC HEALTH
- Extend from seven to 30 days the reporting time for certain public health incidents
- Allow local governments to regulate public swimming pools
RETIREMENT SYSTEMS
- Allow greater flexibility on interest rates and benefit structures
- Repeal county employee health insurance mandate
HUMAN RESOURCES
- Eliminate mandates for local government health insurance plans
- Repeal mandated longevity pay for certain sheriff deputies
- Repeal disability compensation mandate
- Repeal work hours mandate
- Repeal Harris County liability insurance mandate
- Repeal Harris County Sheriff Records mandate
- Repeal civil service system election mandate
- Repeal personnel and payroll records mandate
- Repeal state health insurance mandate for community supervision employees
PUBLIC INFORMATION
- Allow full cost recovery for public information requests
- Change records management rules to guidelines
JUDICIARY
- Repeal indigent defense in child protective services cases mandate, or require state reimbursement
- Repeal appointed counsel mandate or require state reimbursement
- Repeal professional services payment mandate
- Require state payment for administrative judicial regions
- Repeal longevity pay requirement for certain probate judges
- Victim Assistance Coordinator Training
- Allow courts to recoup administrative costs of collecting certain state fees
- Allow counties to “not afford” visiting judges
- Repeal court reporter salary increase mandate
- Repeal county collections program mandate
- Repeal supplemental judicial pay mandate
LICENSING
- Allow local licensing for certain items
- Exempt licensure and inspection of government-owned vehicles
ELECTIONS
- Extend delivery time for voter registration certificates
MISCELLANEOUS
- Repeal county auditor budget mandate
- Repeal County Historical Commission mandate
- Repeal mechanic lien notice mandate
Task Force Members:
- Annise Parker – Mayor, City of Houston
- John Cook – Mayor, City of El Paso
- Bob Holder – Comal County Sheriff
- Susan Narvaiz – former Mayor, City of San Marcos
- Mike Sullivan – Houston City Councilman
- Carlos Cascos – Cameron County Judge
- Keith Self – Collin County Judge
- Brett Ligon – Montgomery County District Attorney
- Mary Ann Whiteker – Hudson Independent School District Superintendent