5-5-232. Local government committee. There is a local government committee. The committee is treated as an interim committee for the purposes of 5-5-211 through 5-5-214. The local government committee shall:

(1) act as a liaison with local governments;

(2) promote and strengthen local government through recognition of the principle that strong communities with effective, democratic governmental institutions are one of the best assurances of a strong Montana;

(3) bring together representatives of state and local government for consideration of common problems;

(4) provide a forum for discussing state oversight of local functions, realistic local autonomy, and intergovernmental cooperation;

(5) identify and promote the most desirable allocation of state and local government functions, responsibilities, and revenue;

(6) promote concise, consistent, and uniform regulation for local government;

(7) coordinate and simplify laws, rules, and administrative practices in order to achieve more orderly and less competitive fiscal and administrative relationships between and among state and local governments;

(8) review state mandates to local governments that are subject to 1-2-112 and 1-2-114 through 1-2-116;

(9) make recommendations to the legislature, executive branch agencies, and local governing bodies concerning:

(a) changes in statutes, rules, ordinances, and resolutions that will provide concise, consistent, and uniform guidance and regulations for local government;

(b) changes in tax laws that will achieve more orderly and less competitive fiscal relationships between levels of government;

(c) methods of coordinating and simplifying competitive practices to achieve more orderly administrative relationships among levels of government; and

(d) training programs and technical assistance for local government officers and employees that will promote effectiveness and efficiency in local government;

(10) conduct interim studies as assigned pursuant to 5-5-217; and

(11) report its activities, findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation as provided in 5-11-210.