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Task force hears memo summarizing government-efficiency examples from 15 states, including AI-driven proposals
Summary
Legislative staff summarized government-efficiency initiatives and proposals from multiple states — including AI pilots, executive orders creating commissions, statutory accountability acts and technology funds — and task force members discussed the implications for North Dakota oversight, metrics and staffing.
Levi, legislative staff, briefed the task force on a memo that catalogs government-efficiency initiatives in about 15 states and is linked to the task force agenda. "You should have all in your packet a memo that has LC number 27.9051 0.01," Levi told the group, directing members to the online appendices for bill text and supporting documents.
The memo highlighted a range of models states have used to pursue efficiency: some legislatures set up commissions or statutory offices (Alabama created a commission on evaluation of services in 2019; New Mexico enacted an Accountability and Government Act in 1999); some governors used executive orders to create commissions or divisions (New Hampshire, Oklahoma); and many states have considered or enacted technology- and AI-focused proposals (Hawaii considered a bill to use AI to identify obsolete statutes; Indiana authorized AI to prepare budget projections; New York considered a Digital Government Modernization Act; Texas created AI councils and a Regulatory Efficiency Office).
Task force members asked whether the North Dakota work should emulate particular features. Senator Davison and Representative Bosch emphasized measurement and follow-up: Davison noted expanded Legislative Council staff and asked how those staff would be used for accountability, and Bosch asked whether the Legislature or agencies should define outcome metrics. Representative Bosch said legislative oversight needs a consistent practice to decide "is it the legislative branch that's going to decide what the measurement outcomes are, or are we going to leave it up to the agency to tell us if they were successful or not?"
Members also discussed the role of AI and data: the chair and committee members noted AI is a tool that can assist performance evaluation but requires clear specifications and funding. Mr. Gallien pointed to a separate example — Iowa’s 2023 consolidation of cabinet agencies — as another model to consider.
The presentation concluded with Levi urging the task force to study the case studies and identify which elements could be adapted for North Dakota. The memo and linked appendices were left as the primary references for further discussion.
Why it matters: the memo lays out a menu of structural options — from executive orders and commissions to statutory performance reporting and AI pilots — that carry different resource needs, oversight roles and legal constraints. Task force members pressed for clarity on which branch should set measurement standards and how the Legislature’s recently added staff will be used to evaluate outcomes.
