SACRAMENTO – The state’s top independent government oversight body today voted unanimously to recommend legislative approval of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s reorganization plan, which will make government more effective by cutting the number of state agencies from 12 to 10, eliminating unnecessary entities and consolidating those with similar functions.

“The Little Hoover Commission’s unanimous endorsement of this plan moves us one step closer to a more streamlined state government,” said Governor Brown.

The Little Hoover Commission’s unanimous recommendation today follows three days of public hearings and a comprehensive review. The plan, which is currently being considered in the Legislature, will go into effect unless it is rejected by a majority vote of either house before July 3, 2012.

Currently, many unrelated departments – like Caltrans, the Department of Real Estate and the Department of Financial Institutions – are housed together, while many related programs are scattered throughout different agencies. In many cases, departments and programs are duplicative.

The Governor’s plan will make government more efficient and sensible, and it will reduce unnecessary spending. Upon implementation, five existing state agencies will be replaced by the following three:

• The Government Operations Agency, which will be responsible for administering state operations, such as procurement, information technology and human resources;
• The Business and Consumer Services Agency, which will be responsible for licensing and oversight of industries, businesses and other professionals; and
• The Transportation Agency, which will align all of the state’s transportation entities.

The Little Hoover Commission is a bipartisan, independent state agency charged with recommending ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of state government operations.

Once final revisions are made, the Commission’s report on the plan will be available at www.lhc.ca.gov. A copy of the Governor’s original letter to the Commission and a summary of the plan can be found here. The plan in full can be found here.