Alabama § 41-9-207 - Legislative Findings and Declarations; Purpose of Article; Agencies; Duties and Goals.

§ 41-9-207. Legislative Findings and Declarations; Purpose of Article; Agencies; Duties and Goals.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) The people of this state have a fundamental interest in the orderly development of the state and its regions;

(2) The state has a positive interest in the preparation and maintenance of long-term, comprehensive plans for the economic, physical, and human resource development of the whole state and of each of its regions which plans can serve as guides for local governmental units and state departments and agencies;

(3) The continued growth of the state and the readjustment of the people to the changing economy of the state, present problems which can best be solved by overall state planning guidance for their solution;

(4) Local governmental planning and program implementation can be strengthened when done in relation to and coordinated with the planning efforts and program implementation of the state and of the regions of the state;

(5) Orderly and harmonious coordination of state and local plans and programs with those of the federal government, state and regional planning and programming requires direct leadership by the Governor;

(6) The state has a positive interest in assisting the various local governmental units, and state departments, agencies, and institutions, in the procurement of various forms of assistance from the federal government for the benefit of the people of the state and to meet critical state needs;

(7) Orderly and efficient administration of state finances and programs, and improved state assistance to local governmental units and state departments, agencies, political subdivisions, and institutions in the procurement of federal assistance can most effectively be accomplished if the state can monitor the types, amounts and purposes of advances, loans, grants, contributions, and any other form of assistance from the federal government which is applied for and/or accepted by departments, agencies, institutions, and political subdivisions of the state.

(b) It is the purpose of this article to promote the development of the state’s human, economic, and physical resources, and to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its citizens, by creating within the executive branch, an agency for comprehensive statewide planning and federal assistance oversight. The agency shall act as an advisory, consulting, monitoring, and coordinating agency to harmonize activities at all levels of government, render technical assistance to governmental units and political subdivisions of this state, and stimulate public interest and participation in the human resource, economic, and physical development of the state as these relate to federal programs, federal grants, and federal assistance.