E-ACCESS TO STATE DEPARTMENT INFO H.B. 4814 (H-1):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4814 (Substitute H-1 as passed by the House)
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) 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 website pages to meet certain criteria.
-- Specify information that would be required, including telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and organization charts.
Specifically, by January 1, 2018, the DTMB would have to include links on the Sate's website to function and contact information for each executive branch department and each major division or subunit within the department. The information would have to be accessible to the public at no cost. Each page created or maintained under these provisions would have to meet all of the following criteria:
-- Provide for uniformity and standardization of information across departments.
-- Use methods that would be intuitive for searching, navigating, and gaining access to information.
-- Be designed to serve the purpose of facilitating public access to government services.
The required information would include a description of the primary functions of the department, and of each major division or subunit of the department, and the telephone number and electronic mail address for the public to contact the department, division, or subunit.
The required information also would include a graphical organization chart that contained the major divisions or subunits of the department and the name and contact information for the supervisor of each major division or subunit, and indicated the reporting relationship of the supervisors.
Each department would have to cooperate with the DTMB in collecting and posting the information required by the proposed Act. Each department also would have to provide quarterly updates to the required information.
The DTMB would have to develop guidelines for
the format and display of the charts and other information to ensure the
greatest possible standardization. The DTMB also would have to provide
technical services and assistance to the departments, as necessary, to create
websites, coordinate links, and maintain electronic connections necessary to implement the Act.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
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.
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.