A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Establish the joint legislative study commission on State Leased Space.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  There is established the Joint Legislative Study Commission on State Leased Space to examine space leased by State agencies. Specifically, the Commission shall examine at least the following:
(1)	The amount, cost, and nature of space currently leased by State agencies.
(2)	The procedure by which real property is leased by and allocated among State agencies.
(3)	Laws relating to the lease of real property by State agencies.
(4)	Whether the current manner of leasing real property is cost­effective and whether or not more cost­effective alternatives are available in certain cases. 
(5)	Whether or not the current amount of space leased by the State could be reduced by more efficiently utilizing State‑owned facilities.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Commission shall consist of 11 members to be appointed as follows:
(1)	Five members of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
(2)	Five members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(3)	A member of the State Property Office of the Department of Administration, appointed by the Secretary of Administration.
SECTION 1.(c)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative as cochair, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator as cochair. Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled by the same appointing authority who made the initial appointment. The Commission shall expire upon delivering its final report.
The Commission, while in the discharge of its official duties, may exercise all powers provided for under G.S. 120‑19 and G.S. 120‑19.1 through G.S. 120‑19.4. The Commission may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairs. The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building. The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120‑32.02.
The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Services Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist the Commission in its work. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Supervisors of Clerks shall assign clerical staff to the Commission, and the expenses relating to the clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission. Members of the Commission shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120‑3.1, 138‑5, or 138‑6, as appropriate.
SECTION 2.  The Commission shall report its findings to the 2012 Regular Session of the 2011 General Assembly upon convening. 
SECTION 3.  All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
SECTION 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for the 2011‑2012 fiscal year to carry out the purposes of this act.
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2011.