GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 190

Short Title:  GPAC/Restructure Dept. of Commerce.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Perdue; Martin of Guilford.
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Referred to:  Government Performance Audit.
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February 17, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE TO RESTRUCTURE THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY PERSONNEL AND COMBINING REDUNDANT PROGRAMS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The General Assembly finds that:
(1)	The Department of Commerce has excess levels of management, excessively narrow spans of control, and some unnecessary positions in some units.
(2)	The Agribusiness Division of the Department of Commerce has programs that are duplicated in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources.
(3)	If the Weatherization Assistance Program of the Energy Division, which weatherizes houses for the needy, were combined with the Community Assistance Division's program that renovates houses for low-income persons, four positions could be eliminated.
(4)	Twelve positions in the following units of the Department of Commerce are unnecessary because the units have a supervisor and an assistant supervisor who both have narrow spans on control:
a.	Personnel Office
b.	Energy Division
c.	Banking Commission
d.	Credit Union Commission
e.	Finance and Budget (ESC)
f.	Labor Market Information (ESC)
(5)	Six positions in the following units of the Department of Commerce are unnecessary due to one-to-one reporting relationships:
a.	International Trade Division
b.	Banking Commission
c.	Credit Union Division
d.	Community Assistance
e.	Personnel (ESC)
f.	Labor Market Information (ESC)
(6)	Sixteen positions in the following units of the Department of Commerce are unnecessary for various reasons:
a.	Mutual Burial Association Commission
b.	Cemetery Commission
c.	Community Assistance Division
d.	Security Administration (ESC)
e.	Public Information Office (ESC)
f.	" Manpower" Programs (ESC)
(7)	The Utilities Commission has a secretarial position for each Commissioner, and some of its other secretarial positions are excessive in comparison to other divisions.
Sec. 2.  Five positions in the Agribusiness Division of the Department of Commerce are eliminated because they are associated with programs that are duplicated in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources.
Sec. 3.  Four positions from the Energy Division, the Community Assistance Division, or both are eliminated.  In order to eliminate these positions, the Department of Commerce shall combine the Energy Division's Weatherization Assistance Program with a related program in the Community Assistance Division that renovates houses for low-income people.
Sec. 4.  Twelve unnecessary supervisory positions from the following divisions or units of the Department of Commerce are eliminated:
a.	Personnel Office
b.	Energy Division
c.	Banking Commission
d.	Credit Union Commission
e.	Finance and Budget (ESC)
f.	Labor Market Information (ESC)
In each case where there is an excessive layer of management or a management position with a narrow span of control, the management positions are to be eliminated.
Sec. 5.  Six positions that involve one-to-one reporting relationships in the following divisions of the Department of Commerce are eliminated:
a.	International Trade Division
b.	Banking Commission
c.	Credit Union Division
d.	Community Assistance
e.	Personnel (ESC)
f.	Labor Market Information (ESC)
Sec. 6.  Sixteen positions in which the functions are unnecessary in the following units of the Department of Commerce are eliminated:
a.	Mutual Burial Association Commission
b.	Cemetery Commission
c.	Community Assistance Division
d.	Security Administration (ESC)
e.	Public Information Office (ESC)
f.	" Manpower" Programs (ESC)
Sec. 7.  The Secretary of Commerce shall study the best way to merge the North Carolina Mutual Burial Association Commission and the North Carolina Cemetery Commission, including their memberships, powers, duties, functions, property, personnel, and funds.  The Secretary shall report to the General Assembly by May 15, 1993, the results of its study including proposed legislation providing for the statutory merger of the two commissions.
Sec. 8. Seven secretarial positions in the Utilities Commission are eliminated.  The Utilities Commission shall pool its support services.
Sec. 9.  The base budget of the Department of Commerce is reduced by one million two hundred thousand dollars ($1,200,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and one million seven hundred thousand dollars ($1,700,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year due to the decrease in personnel positions mandated by this act.
Sec. 10.  Section 7 of this act is effective upon ratification; the remainder of this act becomes effective July 1, 1993.