Joint Committee on Government Oversight #
Website #
Membership, bills in committee, meeting schedule, and livestream available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“The mission of the Joint Legislative Government Oversight Committee, hereafter called the ‘Committee’, is to oversee program evaluation and government accountability matters in State government. The Committee seeks to ensure that public funds are expended for intended purposes, and that programs and activities are effectively, efficiently and economically managed. The Committee accomplishes this mission by conducting public inquiries and directing the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to conduct independent, objective reviews of State agencies and programs and other entities receiving public funds or expending private monies for public purposes” (committee website).
Legislative Council #
Website #
Membership; committee materials; and meeting schedules and videos available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“The Council is responsible for the overall management of the entire Legislature. Its specific powers and duties are set forth in law (3 MRSA, section 162) and legislative rule. The Council is responsible for providing professional, nonpartisan staff support services to the Legislature and its officers, members, committees and commissions. These services include legislative research, bill drafting; policy, legal and fiscal analysis; fiscal note preparation; committee staffing; computer support services; public information; library and reference services and support; and general administrative services. The Legislative Council’s staff is organized into the nonpartisan offices that operate under the direction of the Council’s Executive Director. Other responsibilities delegated by the Legislature to the Council include preparing legislative budget requests and overseeing the legislative budget; establishing salary and benefit schedules for all legislative employees, except as otherwise provided by law; approval of employment practices; planning and oversight of projects designed to improve the organization, operation and physical facilities of the Legislature; and assignment of work to legislative committees when the Legislature is not in session. The Council also has responsibility for screening and approving requests to introduce legislation after cloture (after deadline bills) in any legislative session and exercises this same role for all bill requests prior to their introduction in the second regular session and all special sessions” (committee website).
