Montana State Legislature

2007-2008 State Administration and Veterans' Affairs Committee

The State Administration and Veterans' Affairs Interim Committee (SAVA) is a joint bipartisan committee of the legislature that meets between legislative sessions. The SAVA: (1) monitors the activities of the Department of Administration, the Department of Military Affairs, the Office of the Secretary of State, the Office of the Commissioner of Political Practices, and entities attached to the named departments and offices for administrative purposes; (2) examines policy issues that include: procurement; information technology; state employee pay and benefits; tort claims; elections; campaign financing and practices; the National Guard and armories; veterans; and disaster and emergency services; and public employee retirement systems; and (3) makes recommendations to the full legislature on topics within the Committee's purview. The SAVA's responsibilities include reviewing the administrative rules of assigned executive branch agencies (Administration; Military Affairs; SOS, Political Practices). Legislative studies assigned to SAVA for the 2007-08 interim include HJR 46 (election laws) and HJR 59 (public employee retirement systems).

September 15 , 2008 Agenda (Revised) Minutes Listen

Meeting Materials:
LC 150: Sponsor Notification for Administrative Rules Process
LC 150: Briefing Paper
HJR 46 Study of Election Laws: Draft Final Report

June 30, 2008 Agenda Minutes Listen
HJR 46 Materials:
LC 35: Proposed Clarification on Places of Deposit
LC 35: Proposed Clarification on Mailing of Absentee Ballots
LC 35: Proposed Amendment to School Election Laws
LC 59: Absentee Ballots and Vacancies on Ballot (Revised) 
LC 106: Use of Accessible Voting Machines in Certain Elections
LC 60: Mail Ballot Pilot Project (Revised) 
LC 60: Explanation of Revised Draft

ADMINISTRATIVE RULE REVIEW
Legal Memo: Amended Statement of Reasonable Necessity
Agenda Minutes Listen
Meeting Materials:
LC9050: Comprehensive Cleanup of Election Laws, Updated
Summary of LC9050 Changes, Updated
LC9060: Youth Election Judges, Updated 
Absentee Voting and Vacancies on Ballot - Dave Bohyer
Comparing Recent Historical Rates - Dave Bohyer 
Selected State Actions - Dave Bohyer 
Memorandum re Constitutional Issues of Postage for Mail Ballot Elections - David Niss 
Memorandum re Participation of local governments in PERS - Dave Bohyer
Memorandum re State Office Space: Build vs. Lease - Dave Bohyer
Agenda Minutes Listen
Meeting Materials: 
HJR46: Your Ballot's in the Mail - Sue O'Connell
HJR46: Overview of Saturday Elections 
HJR46: Mail Ballot Presentation - Missoula County Clerk & Recorder Vickie Zeier

HJR 46 - study of election laws
HJR 59 - study of public employee retirement plans

Proposed Legislation

HJR 46: Study Election Laws

At its Sept. 15, 2008, meeting, SAVA assigned sponsors to five bill drafts developed as part of its House Joint Resolution 46 study of election laws. The bills can be followed through the Legislature's bill-tracking system to determine their status at any point in the process, by using the LC number listed below.

HJR 59: Study Public Employee Retirement Systems

At its Feb. 22, 2008, meeting, the State Administration committee authorized drafting a bill related to its House Joint Resolution 59 study of public employee retirement benefits. The bill has been assigned the LC number that will be used for the 2009 legislative session.

Agency Legislation

Office of the Secretary of State

Proposal 1: Revise statutes re post-election audits
Proposal 2: Revise statutes re candidate filing deadlines
Proposal 3: Revise fee structure re online delivery of services for ARM
Proposal 4: Direct public to SOS website for board and commission appointment information
Proposal 5: Revise notary laws
Proposal 6: Place holder for statutory modifications re electronic filing system
Proposal 7: Implement standards for eRecords Information Management

Commissioner of Political Practices

Proposal 1: Require mandatory eFiling of political reporting
Proposal 2: Require disclosure of filing of reports
Proposal 3: Candidate certification deadlines
Proposal 4: Expand definition of "lobbying"
Proposal 5: Clarify ethics complaints and related documents
Proposal 6: Issues re disobedience of a subpoena
Proposal 7: Require itemization of sub-vendor details
Proposal 8: Clarify and authorize use of wire transfers for campaign finance

Department of Administration

Proposal 1: Establish methodology for deferred maintanance backlog
Proposal 2: Allow care and custody facilities to hire workers for staff shortages
Proposal 3: Allow DOA to determine compensation policy structure
Proposal 4: Amend computer security breach notification
Proposal 5: Amend Workers' Compensation Act
Proposal 6: Revise Mortgage Broker and Loan Originator Licensing Act
Proposal 7: Revise Residential Mortgage Lender Licensing Act
Proposal 8: Allow DOA access to State Fund injury and medical information
Proposal 9: Standed 9-1-1 funds
Proposal 10: Revise Title Loan Act
Proposal 11: Require State Fund to determine premiums so that state agencies can budget their workers comp costs
Proposal 12: Revise distribution of funds in 9-1-1 accounts
Proposal 13: Extend Bond Validating Act
Proposal 14: Revise Montana Unified Volume Cap Bond Allocation Plan Act
Proposal 15: Provide Board of County Printing rulemaking authority
Proposal 16: Update 19-1-402 through 19-1-814 re social security contribution account
Proposal 17: Capitol Complex Advisory Council projects
Proposal 18: Eliminate Montana Consensus Council

Montana Public Employees' Retirement Administration and Public Employees Retirement Board

Proposal 1: Update retirement statutes
Proposal 2: Employer contributions on working retirees in the systems
Proposal 3: General revisions bill to amend statutes, interpret laws, eliminate out-dated provisions, replace archaic terminology

Teachers' Retirement System and Teachers Retirement Board

Proposal 1: Revise statutes to comply with federal changes
Proposal 2: Revise statutes to address funding concerns re "return to work" issues

Department of Military Affairs

Proposal 1: Preclude court from considering military service as a detriment to best interest of a child
Proposal 2: Mandating state active duty pay and expenses be drawn on appropriated funds
Proposal 3: Adopt most recent applicable federal military laws
Proposal 4: Create special revenue account to be used for purchase of land necessary to meet MT National Guard mission requirements

Office of Budget and Program Planning

Proposal 1: Eliminating the automatic trigger for PERS and the Sheriff's Retirement System

Miscellaneous

Other Committee Activities

State Agency Monitoring

Overview of Administrative Rule Review by Interim Committees
Legal Memo: Amended Statement of Reasonable Necessity, June 2008

 

Solicitation Of Retirement Related Proposals

Proposal for Retirement Plan Legislation
Memorandum re Proposals to revise public employee retirement systems

Solicitation Of Agency Legislation Proposals

Proposal Form for Agency Legislation

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