Eleven Entities and Functions Are Scheduled to Terminate in 2001

Eleven agencies and functions of government are scheduled to terminate on July 1, 2001, and are subject to sunset reviews prior to their termination dates. These entities and functions of government are listed below.  Contact the staff person shown below for the scheduled hearing time for the sunset review.

• Licensing of Livestock Slaughterers - Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources - David Beaujon - (303) 866-4781
• Physical Therapists - Senate Health, Environment, Children & Families - Jim Hill - (303) 866-4790
• Public Livestock Marketers - Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources - David Beaujon - (303) 866-4781
• Board of Veterinary Medicine - Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources - David Beaujon - (303) 866-4781
• Passenger Tramway Safety Board - Senate Government, Veterans, and Military Relations and Transportation - Geoff Johnson - (303) 866-4788
• Worker's Compensation Classification and Appeals - Senate Business, Labor & Finance - Susan Liddle - (303) 866-2408
• Sex Offenders Treatment Board - Senate Judiciary - Carl Jarrett - (303) 866-4791
• Registration of Direct-Entry Midwifery - Senate Health, Environment, Children & Families - Jim Hill - (303) 866-4790
• Asbestos Control Certification - Senate Business, Labor & Finance - Susan Liddle - (303) 866-2408
• Electrical Board - Senate Business, Labor & Finance - Susan Liddle - (303) 866-2408
• Uninsured Motorist Division - Senate Business, Labor & Finance - Susan Liddle - (303) 866-2408

Executive Branch Conducts Initial Review of Entities and Functions

A department within the executive branch of state government conducts a study of the entity or government function prior to the legislative sunset hearings. The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) will produce a "sunset report" by October 15, 2000, for each of the 11 entities and functions scheduled to sunset on July 1, 2001. This sunset report describes the history of the entity, examines the laws which created the entity, and makes recommendations regarding changes to the law and continuation of the entity.

General Assembly Conducts Public Reviews of the Regulatory Functions

The President of the Senate has assigned the eleven sunset reviews to the various Senate standing committees listed above. In conducting a sunset review, the standing committee reviews recommendations from the Department of Regulatory Agencies concerning continuation of the entity or function of government in question. The review is conducted at a public hearing which will occur early in the 2001 legislative session. The committee also takes testimony from interested members of the public and any involved program administrators. Committees of reference of the General Assembly will hear any bills resulting from the sunset review process.

Evaluation and Review of Entities and Functions Is Based on Statutory Criteria

Each entity and function scheduled for termination has the burden of demonstrating that a public need exists for its continued existence and that its regulation is the least restrictive regulation consistent with the public interest. The determination as to whether a public need exists for the entity or function of government, and for the degree of regulation it practices, is based on the following factors, among others:

1. Whether regulation by the agency is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; whether the conditions which led to the initial regulation have changed; and whether other conditions have arisen which would warrant more, less, or the same degree of regulation;
2. If regulation is necessary, whether the existing statutes and regulations establish the least restrictive form of regulation consistent with the public interest, considering other available regulatory mechanisms, and whether agency rules enhance the public interest and are within the scope of legislative intent;
3. Whether the agency operates in the public interest and whether its operation is impeded or enhanced by existing statutes, rules, procedures, and practices and any other circumstances, including budgetary, resource, and personnel matters;
4. Whether an analysis of agency operations indicates that the agency performs its statutory duties efficiently and effectively;
5. Whether the composition of the agency's board or commission adequately represents the public interest and whether the agency encourages public participation in its decisions rather than participation only by the people it regulates;
6. The economic impact of regulation and, if national economic information is not available, whether the agency stimulates or restricts competition;
7. Whether complaint, investigation, and disciplinary procedures adequately protect the public and whether final dispositions of complaints are in the public interest or self-serving to the profession;
8. Whether the scope of practice of the regulated occupation contributes to the optimum utilization of personnel and whether entry requirements encourage affirmative action; and
9. Whether administrative and statutory changes are necessary to improve agency operations to enhance the public interest.

Standing Committee Has Several Options for Recommendations

A standing committee may recommend that an entity or function of government be continued or terminated. If the assigned committee of reference believes that an entity or function should be continued, it recommends a bill to the full General Assembly to accomplish this. In addition to continuing the existence of the entity, the bill may also make adjustments to the area of the law establishing the entity. With the exception of advisory committees, entities and functions of government may be continued for any time period up to 15 years. There are no sunset reviews for advisory committees for the current year. Thus, the eleven entities and functions of government currently under consideration may be continued for up to 15 years (There is no similar limitation on advisory committees). State law does not limit the amount of time for which an existing advisory committee may be recreated. Generally, after conducting a sunset review of an existing advisory committee and recreating the committee, the General Assembly has not placed time limits on the life of the committee.

A standing committee recommends termination of an entity or function simply by not proposing legislation for its continuation; however, the standing committee may recommend legislation to "clean up" the statutes.  In the event that the General Assembly allows an entity or function of state government to terminate, the entity or function continues to exist for the next succeeding year for the purpose of "winding up affairs."

Sunset Bills Follow Procedures for Other Bills During Legislative Session

Any bills recommended at sunset hearings by committees of reference will be introduced in the Senate at the 2001 session and proceed through the normal legislative process. The President of the Senate will assign the bills to the same committee that conducted the sunset hearing. The Senate committees of reference will hold public hearings on the bills and may amend, kill, or pass a bill on to the full Senate. Following the committee of reference hearing, the bill will be considered on second and third reading in the Senate.

If the bill survives hearings in the Senate, the process is repeated in the House of Representatives. After passing out of both the Senate and the House of Representatives the bill is then sent to the Governor for action. The Governor may sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or permit the bill to become law without a signature.

Accessing Sunset Reports

Sunset reports will be available from the Legislative Council staff after October 15, 2000.

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