Bill > HB310

This bill aims to promote transparency and efficiency in state government by establishing a statewide policy for open government data standards and encouraging the use of open data formats. Open data refers to information that is complete, primary (collected at the source), timely, accessible to all, machine-processable, non-discriminatory, non-proprietary, and license-free, meaning it can be freely used and implemented without exclusive control or copyright. The bill mandates that the state commissioner develop this policy, which will be adopted and reviewed by each state agency, with designated contact persons responsible for its implementation. Furthermore, the bill requires the commissioner to assist state agencies in acquiring or developing data systems that comply with "open standards," which are specifications for data that are free to implement, have no restrictions on data use or software creation, are fully documented, and allow for identification of adherence to the format. The bill also defines "restricted format" as any data format that is not open standards compliant and requires agencies to re-examine data stored in restricted formats periodically. This initiative is intended to foster economic development, commerce, and civic engagement by making state data more accessible and usable.