HP0158, LD 181, item 1, An Act To Promote Fiscal Transparency in State Government

An Act To Promote Fiscal Transparency in State Government

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §282-B is enacted to read:

§ 282-B. Commissioner to provide access to information on state revenues, expenditures and bond proceeds

1. Information. The Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services shall develop and maintain a single, searchable, publicly accessible website that contains information on state revenues, expenditures and bond proceeds. The commissioner shall provide access to the information at no cost to the public. The revenue information must be presented in the same level of detail and format as the data prepared by the Revenue Forecasting Committee established pursuant to section 1710-E. The expenditure information must be clearly labeled to identify the fiscal year and fund source and must include the following:

A. The state agency and program that provided the funding;

B. The legal name and principal location of the individual or entity that received state funds;

C. The amount of state funds expended; and

D. A description of the purpose of the expenditure.

All state agencies shall assist the commissioner in providing the financial information required by this subsection.

2. Immunity. The State and all of its employees are immune from criminal penalties and civil liability to the extent provided in Title 14, chapter 741 for any acts, errors and omissions related to the dissemination of the financial information required by this section.

3. Confidentiality. Nothing in this section requires the disclosure of information that is confidential pursuant to state or federal law, rule or regulation.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §1973, sub-§1, ¶E, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. SS, §11, is further amended to read:

E. Facilitate research and development activities to identify and establish effective information technology service delivery in State Government; and

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §1973, sub-§1, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. SS, §11, is amended to read:

F. Facilitate interjurisdictional collaboration, services, sharing and initiatives among agencies, instrumentalities and political subdivisions of State Government and with other states and the Federal Government . ; and

Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §1973, sub-§1, ¶G is enacted to read:

G. Assist the commissioner in developing policies and procedures concerning the publicly accessible website that provides free public access to the State’s revenue, expenditure and bond proceeds data as required by section 282-B in a manner consistent with state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

summary

This bill requires the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services to develop and maintain a single, searchable, publicly accessible website that contains information on state revenues, expenditures and bond proceeds. It requires the Chief Information Officer to assist the commissioner in developing policies and procedures concerning the single website in a manner consistent with state and federal laws, rules and regulations. This bill also provides state employees with immunity from criminal penalties and civil liability for any acts, errors or omissions related to the dissemination of this financial information.

HP0158 LD 181	First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature		LR 716 Item 1
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