H.4571 would prohibit a “government agency, body, commission, committee, or council” whose governing board is appointed by a legislative delegation from transferring any of the bodies’ authority to another board without prior approval from the General Assembly.
Boards which are not elected and therefore not directly accountable to voters shouldn’t be able to assign governing powers to other bodies. That said, this bill misses the larger issue of the General Assembly itself improperly taking on the powers of other branches. Making appointments to executive boards and commissions is a proper function of the executive branch not the legislature. Currently the legislature makes more than 420 appointments to executive boards and commissions. Legislators are right to try and reign in the improper exercise of powers by agencies, they should consider reigning in their own power overreach as well.