Jan 15, 2008
Governor Bobby Jindal Holds First Cabinet Meeting on First Day and Issues 4 Executive Orders

BATON ROUGE – On Governor Bobby Jindal’s first day in office today he called his cabinet together for their first cabinet meeting at the Governor’s mansion. Following the meeting, Jindal held a press conference to announce his signing of four executive orders. One order calls for greater transparency in government; another for high ethical standards for the executive branch; one to expedite the hurricane recovery decision-making in government by helping to eliminate any duplicative efforts and red tape; and he announced an order to issue a limited hiring freeze to encourage each agency to search for ways to eliminate waste and save money within the divisions under their jurisdiction. Highlights of each executive order are included below:

Executive Branch – Ethical Standards Executive Order - “Highlights”

SECTION 1:              I hereby instruct my cabinet members to comply with the gubernatorial financial disclosure requirements of Louisiana Revised Statute 42:1124, commencing on January 15 of the year following his or her commission. 

SECTION 2:              All cabinet and other officials appointed by the governor and departmental officers as provided in R.S. 36:5 shall participate in annual training and education on the Code of Governmental Ethics beginning in 2008.  The ethics education shall be in conformity with the provisions of R.S. 42:1170 except for the commencement of such training.

SECTION 3:              Resignation will be requested from any executive appointee who is indicted while in office.

Executive Department – Transparency Executive Order - “Highlights”

SECTION 1:              In order to assess the degree to which each agency is in compliance with the Louisiana Government Performance and Accountability Act (the Act) and the goals for transparency as set out in this Executive Order, I hereby direct the head of each department of the executive branch of state government to perform a survey and analysis of compliance with said act and goals. 

SECTION 2:              The commissioner of administration shall report the findings of the surveys and analysis to the governor.  The commissioner shall at the same time submit to the governor recommendation to assure compliance with the Act and to attain the goals hereby established.  The report and recommendations shall be submitted to the governor on or before April 15, 2008.

SECTION 3:              To insure transparency and accountability in state government, I hereby establish the following goals:

1.         Issue annual public reports online of all state grants and contracts by funding source, agency, parish, and type of service provided;

2.         Improve public access to the current grant and contract databases to make it a state-of-the art, easy to navigate resource that provides full disclosure of grants, contracts, and bond allocations of the state;

3.         Improve transparency of Louisiana's regulatory process;

4.         Facilitate interoperable systems that enable Information Technology projects to expand among agencies;

5.         Create an online state spending database;

6.         Redesign Louisiana government's web site with a focus on transparency;

Louisiana Recovery Authority Executive Order – “Highlights”

SECTION 1:              The Louisiana Recovery Authority shall set priorities and offer broad direction to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness relating to the use of funds made available to the state for recovery and redevelopment efforts through the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, and special congressional appropriations for the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

SECTION 2:              The Executive Director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority shall serve as the Governor’s Authorized Representative for Louisiana’s Public Assistance Program associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  The Executive Director shall be afforded all duties and responsibilities conferred upon the Governors Authorized Representative in the states Public Assistance Administrative Plan.

SECTION 3:              The Louisiana Recovery Authority shall serve as the State Hazard Mitigation Team for the recovery associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for purposes of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

SECTION 4:              The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is authorized and directed to cooperate in the implementation of the provisions of this Order.

Executive Department – Limited Hiring Freeze – “Highlights”

WHEREAS,              to limit or control the growth in government positions, prudent fiscal management practices dictate that the best interests of the citizens of the state of Louisiana will be served by the implementation of a hiring freeze throughout the executive branch of state government to achieve at least a state general fund dollar savings of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000).
…

SECTION 1:              No vacancy in an existing or new position of employment within the executive branch of state government, which exists on or occurs after January 15, 2008, shall be filled without the express written approval of the commissioner of administration.

A.        After the effective date of this Order, employee transfers, promotions, re-allocations and the creation of any new positions of employment within the executive branch of state government shall not, in any manner, increase the aggregate number of positions or Full Time Equivalents (FTE) of employment within the department, budget unit, agency, office, board or commission within the executive branch of state government beyond the number filled as of the effective date of this Order unless otherwise authorized by  the commissioner of administration or a mid-year budget adjustment in accordance with Section 8 of Act 18.
SECTION 2:

A.        Each department, budget unit, agency, office, board or commission shall file a report with the commissioner of administration reflecting projected savings, by means of financing, that the department, budget unit, agency, office, board or commission will generate through the implementation of this Order. Unless otherwise modified by the commissioner of administration, the monthly reports shall be submitted on the 3rd working day after the last pay period of each month, beginning with the last pay period in February.  The report shall reflect a full accounting of personnel changes within the department, budget unit, agency, office, board or commission for the reporting period covered.
B.        The report requirement details shall be developed by the commissioner of administration.

SECTION 3:
A.        The commissioner of administration is authorized to grant any department, budget unit, agency, office, board or commission in the executive branch of state government an exemption, on a case by case basis or by category, from all or a part of the prohibition set forth in Section 1 of this Order, as she deems necessary and appropriate. Such an exemption shall be express and in writing.
B.        Requests for an exemption from all or a part of the prohibition set forth in Section 1 of this Order, on a case by case basis or by category, shall be submitted only by a statewide elected official, by the secretary or head of a department, or by the head of a budget unit, agency, office, board or commission which is not within a department. Each request for an exemption shall be in writing and shall contain a description of the type of exemption sought and full justification for the request.
C.        The commissioner of administration may develop guidelines pertaining to requests for exemption from all or part of the prohibition set forth in Section 1 of this Order.
D.        If necessary, the commissioner of administration may develop definitions for the terms and/or the descriptions used in this Order.

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