PUBLIC RECORDS: ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING H.B. 4444:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4444 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Steven Johnson
Ways and Means
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Freedom of Information Act to allow a State agency to make its publications available in electronic format.
The Freedom of Information Act requires a State agency to publish and make available all of the following:
-- Final orders or decisions in contested cases and the records on which they were made.
-- Promulgated rules.
-- Other written statements that implement or interpret laws, rules, or policy, including guidelines, manuals, and forms with instructions, adopted or used by the agency in the discharge of its functions.
Publications may be in pamphlet, loose-leaf, or other appropriate form in printed, mimeographed, or other written material. Under the bill, in addition to the formats currently listed in the Act, publications also could be in electronic format.
MCL 15.234 Legislative Analyst: Stephen Jackson
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a positive, but minimal, fiscal impact on the State due to anticipated reduced printing costs for State departments and agencies. The bill would allow a State department or agency to provide requested Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) materials in an electronic format. Currently, the information must be made available to the public in pamphlet, loose-leaf, or other appropriate form in printed, mimeographed, or other written manner. Allowing an electronic format to be used in place of a printed document would result in reduced costs for the State, but that amount is indeterminate and would depend on the number of FOIA requests received.
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.