Bill Text: NH HB449 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Expanding the information available on the state transparency website.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-10-21 - House Proposed Committee Amendment #2011-2580h (New Title) [HB449 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2011-HB449-Introduced.html

HB 449-FN – AS INTRODUCED

2011 SESSION

11-0171

05/09

HOUSE BILL 449-FN

AN ACT expanding the information available on the state transparency website.

SPONSORS: Rep. Weyler, Rock 8; Rep. Sapareto, Rock 5

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

ANALYSIS

This bill expands the information available on the state’s transparency website to include more detailed budget information, as well as information regarding elected and appointed officials, ethics, contracts, lobbying, taxes, and right-to-know requests.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

11-0171

05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven

AN ACT expanding the information available on the state transparency website.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Online Access to Budget Information and Reports. Amend RSA 9-F:1, I to read as follows:

I. The commissioner of administrative services shall make available on the state website the information and reports required to be made available to the public and to the general court under paragraphs [II-III] II-V of this section. All of this required information shall be accessible on a single state transparency website to be created by the department of information technology.

2 State Transparency Website; Budget Information. Amend RSA 9-F:1, II(a) to read as follows:

(a) All expenditures by state agencies shall be published monthly, no later than the 15th day of the following month. These expenditures shall be reported:

(1) In a total fund format, showing budgeted/revised budgeted amounts spent for the month, for the year, and for the year to date. Expenditure reports generated by the financial reporting system of the state for agency use shall be used to satisfy this requirement.

(2) In a check register format, including:

(A) The amount of the payment.

(B) Date.

(C) Check number, if applicable.

(D) The person or entity to whom the payment was made, including the address.

(E) The purpose of the payment.

(F) Budgetary authority for the expenditure.

(G) Functional expenditure category.

(H) Sources of funds.

(I) Links to the relevant contracts under which the payment was made.

3 New Paragraphs; State Transparency Website; Additional Information. Amend RSA 9-F:1 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraphs:

IV. The state transparency website shall include links to RSA 91-A, relative to access to government records and meetings, notices for public meetings of state committees and boards, minutes of past meetings, schedules, and meeting agendas for future and past meetings.

V. The state transparency website shall provide the following:

(a) Elected officials’ information, including:

(1) Contact information for all elected officials, as defined in RSA 15-B:2, III.

(2) Terms of office and date of next election.

(3) Voting record.

(4) Party affiliation.

(5) Conflict of interest rules.

(6) Committee appointments.

(b) Administrative officials’ information, including:

(1) Contact information for each agency head, as defined in RSA 15-A:2, II.

(2) Terms of office.

(3) Governing statutes and administrative rules of the agency.

(4) Party affiliation.

(5) Conflict of interest rules.

(c) Ethics information, including:

(1) The code of ethics for the executive branch under RSA 21-G and the legislative branch under RSA 14-B.

(2) The process for reporting ethics violations.

(3) A summary of public opinions and findings by each ethics committee.

(d) Contract information, including:

(1) Statutes and rules governing state contracts.

(2) Bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000.

(3) Vendor campaign contributions and the vendor contract.

(e) Lobbying information, including:

(1) Disclosure of state-paid lobbying activity.

(2) Database of registered lobbyists.

(3) Agency lobbying contracts.

(4) All grants given to non-profit organizations, the purpose of the grant, and a contact in the organization responsible for oversight.

(f) Information available under RSA 91-A, the state right-to-know law, including:

(1) A contact for each state agency in one central location.

(2) An annual compliance survey, including the number of RSA 91-A requests submitted, the number fulfilled, the average time for compliance, and reasons for denials.

(g) Tax and revenue information, including:

(1) A central location for all tax information, including state “fees” such as drivers’ licenses.

(2) Agency disclosure of all sources of revenue.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

LBAO

11-0171

Revised 08/22/11

HB 449 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT expanding the information available on the state transparency website.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Department of Information Technology states this bill will have no impact on state revenue or expenditures. There will be no impact on county and local revenues or expenditures.

The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant is awaiting information from the Department of Administrative Services relative to the potential fiscal impact of this bill. The Department was initially contacted on 12/01/10 and most recently contacted on 06/12/11.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) states the Department of Administrative Services is the agency responsible for financial data and will be the primary agency responsible for meeting the requirements of this bill, however DoIT’s Web Support Division will be responsible for the creation of the application to support the data presentation and for the website on which the data will be posted. DoIT states it will also be responsible for periodic updates of the data, which are assumed to occur monthly. DoIT estimates it will take a System Development Specialist IV position a total of 250 hours to develop the new functionality and 25 hours per month to manage and update the website. DoIT states it does not intend on hiring new staff to meet the requirements of this bill and would absorb costs in its existing budget. DoIT states however in order to fulfill the requirements of this bill, other projects may have to be suspended or postponed.

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