The Florida Senate

11.511  Director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability; appointment; employment of staff; powers and duties.--

(1)(a)  The Legislative Auditing Committee shall appoint a director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability by majority vote of the committee, subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Senate and the House of Representatives. At the time of appointment, the director must have had 10 years' experience in policy analysis and program evaluation. The reappointment of a director is subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Legislative Auditing Committee may appoint an interim director.

(b)  The appointment of the director may be terminated at any time by a majority vote of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(2)(a)  The director shall take and subscribe to the oath of office required of state officers by the State Constitution.

(b)  Until such time as each house confirms the appointment of the director, the appointee shall perform the functions as provided by law.

(3)(a)  The director shall make all spending decisions under the annual operating budget approved by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The director shall employ and set the compensation of such professional, technical, legal, and clerical staff as may be necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, in accordance with the joint policies and procedures of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and may remove these personnel. The staff must be chosen to provide a broad background of experience and expertise and, to the maximum extent possible, to represent a range of disciplines that includes law, engineering, public administration, environmental science, policy analysis, economics, sociology, and philosophy.

(b)  An officer or full-time employee of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability may not serve as the representative of any political party or on any executive committee or other governing body thereof; receive remuneration for activities on behalf of any candidate for public office; or engage, on behalf of any candidate for public office, in the solicitation of votes or other activities in behalf of such candidacy. Neither the director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability nor any employee of that office may become a candidate for election to public office unless he or she first resigns from office or employment.

(4)  The director shall perform and/or contract for the performance of examinations and other duties as prescribed by law. The director shall perform his or her duties independently but under general policies established by the Legislative Auditing Committee.

(5)  The director may adopt and enforce reasonable rules necessary to facilitate the examinations, reports, and other tasks that he or she is authorized to perform.

(6)  When the director determines that conducting an examination would not be possible due to workload limitations or the project does not appear to be of critical interest to the Legislature, then, with the consent of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the director may temporarily or indefinitely postpone such examinations. The director may at any time conduct a performance review of a governmental entity created by law.

History.--s. 3, ch. 90-110; s. 3, ch. 92-142; s. 17, ch. 94-249; s. 1310, ch. 95-147; s. 31, ch. 96-318; s. 18, ch. 99-333; s. 18, ch. 2001-266.