E-ACCESS TO STATE GOVERNMENT INFO                                                H.B. 4814 (H-1):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                                  ON THIRD READING

House Bill 4814 (Substitute H-1 as by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor:  Representative Jim Runestad

House Committee:  Oversight and Ethics

Senate Committee:  Elections and Government Reform

CONTENT

The bill would enact the "Electronic Open Access to Government Act" to:

-- Require the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB), by January 1, 2018, to include links on the State's website to function and contact information for each executive branch department and its major divisions and subunits.

-- Require the information to be accessible to the public at no cost.

-- Require the website pages to provide for uniformity and standardization of information; use methods that would be intuitive for searching, navigating, and gaining access to information; and be designed to facilitate public access to government services.

-- Specify information that would be required, including the primary functions of the department and its major divisions or subunits, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

-- Require the information to include a graphical organization chart that included the major divisions or units of the department, as well as the name, position title, classified or nonclassified Civil Service distinction, and contact information for the supervisor of each major division or subunit, and indicated the reporting relationship of the supervisors.

-- Require each department to cooperate with the DTMB in collecting and posting the required information, and to update the information quarterly.

-- Require the DTMB to develop guidelines for the format and display of the charts and other information to ensure the greatest possible standardization.

-- Require the DTMB to provide necessary technical services and assistance to the departments.

                                                                             Legislative Analyst:  Suzanne Lowe

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget for costs related to the development of guidelines and implementation of the requirements of the bill. The DTMB has stated that most other State departments already have the required information readily available and complying with the bill simply would be a matter of the DTMB's loading the information to the individual departments' publically accessible website. The minimal costs to the DTMB should be absorbed within current annual appropriations and thus additional funding would not be necessary.

The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.

Date Completed:  12-1-16                                                    Fiscal Analyst:  Joe Carrasco

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.