Standing Committees Focused on Oversight

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee #

Website #

Membership and meeting schedules, agendas, testimony, minutes, and audio/video available on website.

Purpose/Jurisdiction #

“The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee oversees and authorizes the Office of Performance Evaluations to conduct independent performance evaluations of state agencies and programs” (committee website).

“POWERS OF COMMITTEE. The joint legislative oversight committee shall have the following powers:

1. “To direct the director of legislative performance evaluations in accordance with section 67-461, Idaho Code, to review the performance of any state agency or program and to prepare reports for submission to the joint legislative oversight committee.
2. “To contract with private individuals or entities for the conduct of performance evaluations or portions thereof.
3. “To examine witnesses, to require the appearance of any person and the production of papers or records, including books, accounts, documents, computer records, and other materials, and to order the appearance of any person for the purpose of producing papers or records, including books, accounts, documents, computer records, and other materials, as is provided other legislative committees.
4. “To administer oaths to witnesses appearing before the committee when, by a majority vote, the committee deems the administration of an oath necessary and advisable as provided by law.
5. “To determine that a witness has perjured himself by testifying falsely before the committee, and to direct the attorney general to institute legal proceedings as provided by law.
6. “To conduct meetings at such times as the cochairmen deem necessary.
7. “To issue subpoenas upon the signature of either of the cochairmen; provided that the district court in and for the county in which any inquiry, evaluation, investigation, hearing or proceeding may take place shall have the power to compel obedience by proceedings for contempt, as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from the court or the refusal to testify or produce papers or records, including books, accounts, documents, computer records, and other materials, in court” (Idaho Statute 67-460).