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Wyoming Legislature

Committee Meeting Summary of Proceedings

Management Audit Committee

December 14, 2005

Room 302, Capitol Building

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Meeting Attendance

Committee Members Present

Representative Randall Luthi, Chairman

Senator Grant Larson, Vice Chairman

Senator Ken Decaria

Senator John Hanes

Senator Kit Jennings

Senator John Schiffer

Senator Kathryn Sessions

Representative Roy Cohee

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Pete Illoway

Representative Marty Martin

Legislative Service Office

Barbara J. Rogers, Program Evaluation Manager; Kelley Pelissier, Senior Program Evaluator; Karla Smith, Associate Program Evaluator

Others Present

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

Written Meeting Materials and Handouts

All meeting materials and handouts provided to the Committee by the Legislative Service Office (LSO), public officials, lobbyists, and the public are referenced in the Meeting Materials Index, attached to the minutes. These materials are on file at the LSO and are part of the official record of the meeting.

Call To Order

Chairman Luthi called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic. Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

Approval of Minutes

Vice Chairman Larson moved to approve the minutes from the September 9, 2005 meeting. Representative Martin seconded and the motion carried.

Executive Session

Chairman Luthi resolved the Committee into Executive Session for consideration of a staff presentation on the draft report, State-Level Education Governance. The Committee discussed the report’s findings and recommendations with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board and State Department of Education officials.

Open Session

Chairman Luthi opened the meeting. Senator Larson moved and Representative Illoway seconded a motion to release the report, State-Level Education Governance, at 8 a.m. on Monday, December 19, 2005. Representative Cohee called for the question and the motion carried unanimously.

Department of Family Services. DFS Director Rodger McDaniel responded to the Committee’s request for information regarding the agency’s progress toward implementing recommendations contained in the September 2005 report, Foster Care. Director McDaniel, with input from agency administrators Paul Yaksic and Marilyn Patton, reviewed agency materials and answered questions from the Committee.

Following Committee discussion, Chairman Luthi agreed to send a letter to Director McDaniel requesting further information on the complex issue of preliminary assessment of children going into placement, including the appropriate degree of depth, sophistication, and cost of those assessments. He said the letter would request this information both on the types of assessments currently being conducted and on those DFS may begin using as a result of the Foster Care report. The letter will also request information about how DFS identifies immediate areas of concern and matches children’s placements with their service needs. Chairman Luthi said he would request the information by quarter, as it becomes available, for the first two quarters of calendar year 2006.

State-Level Education Governance. The Committee discussed possible legislation related to the report and with a show of hands, agreed to request that LSO attorneys draft two pieces of legislation: first, a bill to provide the Superintendent a vote on the State Board of Education; and second, a bill to provide one part-time staff position within the Department of Education but dedicated to the work of the State Board of Education (to conduct research, analysis, and other duties as the Board or individual members require).

Other Business

Ms. Rogers updated the Committee on work in progress on the report to be considered at the Committee’s January meeting, House Bill 59 Substance Abuse Planning and Accountability. She informed the Committee that at that meeting, staff will also present a follow-up on the 2004 report, Developmental Disabilities Division Adult Waiver Program.

Chairman Luthi acknowledged receipt of a letter from the Associated Press requesting to inspect a public record; the Associated Press requested to inspect the report State-Level Education Governance. Other Committee members and the program evaluation manager also received the letter. The Committee noted that by its earlier vote, the report has been scheduled to be released to the public on December 19, 2005. Members agreed the Chairman should consult with LSO attorneys and then respond to the request on behalf of the Committee and staff.

Members agreed to meet on Monday, January 30, 2006 at 9 a.m. in Cheyenne, to consider the draft report on House Bill 59: Substance Abuse Planning and Accountability.

Meeting Adjournment

There being no further business, Chairman Luthi adjourned the meeting at 3:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,