[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 63 (Thursday, May 19, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 THE ALABAMA LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON TOTAL QUALITY GOVERNMENT ACT OF 
                                  1994

                                 ______


                           HON. NEWT GINGRICH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 19, 1994

  Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, as a student of the total quality 
management philosophy, I would like to share a copy of a recently 
passed bill by the Alabama State House with my colleagues. I hope they 
find it as encouraging as I did that we can bring quality management to 
government services.

A Bill To Establish the Alabama Legislative Commission on Total Quality 
                         Government Act of 1994

       Be it enacted by the Legislature of Alabama:
       Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 
     ``Alabama Legislative Commission on Total Quality Government 
     Act of 1994.''
       Section 2. The Legislature hereby finds as follows:
       (1) The state and federal governments are facing 
     unprecedented demands for government services in a time of 
     proration, national deficit spending, increasing national 
     debt, a highly competitive world economy, and the increasing 
     disillusionment on the part of the public with the ability of 
     the governments to adequately meet the needs.
       (2) Citizens want their governments, state and federal, to 
     be more responsive to their needs, by operating at a more 
     personal level with greater efficiency, higher performance, 
     and lower cost.
       (3) Total Quality, a structured management approach first 
     used in private industry, has proven to increase 
     profitability and marketshare, decrease costs, increase 
     employee satisfaction, and decrease employee turnover.
       (4) Early efforts to implement Total Quality within the 
     federal government have produced favorable results; in fact, 
     it is believed that Total Quality offers one of the greatest 
     hopes for improving government services, managing the diverse 
     demands of Alabama's government, and optimizing the results 
     of state tax dollar expenditures.
       (5) The application of Total Quality principles to Alabama 
     government must begin with educating state government 
     officials about Total Quality; there has been no established 
     legislative group to educate the full Legislature and the 
     service and regulatory departments of state government about 
     the principles and application of Total Quality.
       (6) There is a need for a legislative commission to examine 
     Total Quality and its' applications to state government.
       Section 3. As used in this act, the following words and 
     phrases shall have the following meanings:
       (1) Commission. The Alabama Legislative Commission on Total 
     Quality Government established by this act.
       (2) Customer. Any individual, organization, or entity that 
     is a recipient of state government products or services, 
     including any individual, organization, or entity within the 
     government that is a recipient of those products and 
     services.
       (3) State Government or Government. All service and 
     regulatory agencies of the State of Alabama.
       (4) Supplier. Any individual, organization, or entity that 
     provides products or services to the government, including 
     any individual, organization, or entity within the state 
     government that receives those products or services.
       (5) Total Quality. A strategic, customer-focused management 
     approach that focuses on continual quality improvement 
     processes, products, and services of an entire organization; 
     the basic principles of Total Quality include:
       a. Customer-defined and customer-driven quality.
       b. Strong leadership and commitment.
       c. Continuous improvement.
       d. Actions based on facts, data, and analysis.
       e. Large-scale employee involvement and teamwork.
       f. Employee reward and recognition.
       g. Effective two-way communication between employees and 
     management.
       Section 4. There is created the Alabama Legislative 
     Commission on Total Quality to be composed of 15 members 
     appointed as follows: four members appointed by the Governor, 
     to serve an initial term of either one, two, three, or four 
     years; four members appointed by the Presiding Officer of the 
     Senate, to serve an initial term of either one, two, three, 
     or four years; and four members appointed by the Speaker of 
     the House of Representatives, to serve an initial term of 
     either one, two, three, or four years. After the initial 
     terms, all members shall serve four-year terms. The Governor, 
     Presiding Officer of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives shall serve as ex officio members. Vacancies 
     on the commission shall be filled by the original appointing 
     authority. A member shall not serve more than one term as a 
     commissioner. A chair and vice chair shall be selected from 
     the membership. The chair and vice chair shall serve one-year 
     terms and not be permitted to succeed themselves. The 
     commission shall meet at least bimonthly at the call of the 
     chair at any other time deemed appropriate by the commission. 
     The Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary 
     of the Senate shall furnish such clerical assistance, and the 
     Director of the Legislative Reference Service shall furnish 
     such legal assistance as may be necessary for the work of the 
     commission.
       Section 5. The commission shall have the following duties:
       (1) Provide for the education of members of the Legislature 
     and state agencies of Alabama about Total Quality, including 
     the basic concepts, potential benefits, and application to 
     state government, among other responsibilities.
       (2) Arrange Total Quality presentations for members of the 
     Legislature and host quality meetings between invitees from 
     the Legislature, the executive branch, state, and local 
     governments, private industry, or other relevant parties to 
     discuss the application of Total Quality to government.
       (3) Make and transmit to the Governor and the Legislature 
     findings and recommendations regarding the application of 
     Total Quality principles to the organization and continuous 
     operations of state government. These findings and 
     recommendations shall address the continuous improvement of 
     government operations through the promotion of citizen 
     satisfaction, cost-saving, employee satisfaction and service 
     in the government, including:
       a. Defining program missions in terms of measurable 
     outcomes, with an emphasis on quality of the service, citizen 
     satisfaction, and result-oriented accountability.
       b. Improving department operating systems to improve 
     morale, inspire initiative, maximize productivity and 
     effectiveness, foster teamwork, and rewarding excellence.
       c. Recommending procedural changes aimed at employee 
     empowerment.
       d. Empowering employees, agencies, and programs in order to 
     reduce costs, simplify processes, and focus responsibility.
       e. Promoting the application of state-of-the-art 
     technologies in order to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
       f. Developing of mechanisms to promote greater cooperation 
     and coordination in policy-making between the legislative and 
     executive branches, and greater attention to the long term 
     impacts of budgetary and policy decisions.
       (4) Sponsoring and participating in periodic forums with 
     various state government customers and suppliers, and provide 
     opportunities for citizens, government employees, and other 
     affected groups to communicate their satisfaction with 
     government services or their recommendation for improvement.
       Section 6. The commission shall annually submit a report to 
     the Governor and the Legislature, which shall include:
       (1) An outline of the educational strategy of the 
     commission.
       (2) A plan for accomplishing the goals of the commission.
       (3) A summary of the activities of the commission following 
     its establishment.
       (4) A recommendation regarding the application of Total 
     Quality principles to the organization and operation of 
     Alabama state government.
       Section 7. This act shall become effective immediately upon 
     its passage and approval by the Governor, or upon its 
     otherwise becoming a law.


                                synopsis

       Under existing law, there is no provision for a commission 
     to study the quality of the services provided by state 
     government.
       This bill would establish the Alabama Legislative 
     Commission on Total Quality Government to study and make 
     recommendations to the Governor and Legislature concentrating 
     on a government recipient-focused management approach that 
     specifically focuses on continual quality improvement 
     processes, products, and services provided by state 
     government and by the federal government.

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