Bill > HB418

This bill mandates that state agencies in New Hampshire prioritize the use of open source software and open data formats, aiming to reduce costs, ensure data accessibility, and promote interoperability. Open source software is defined as software that grants users unrestricted use, access to its source code, and the freedom to modify and distribute it, while open standards are specifications for computer data that are free to use, have no restrictions on data use or software creation, and are publicly documented. The bill requires agencies to consider open source options when acquiring software, avoiding products that don't comply with open standards or that transmit data without authorization. It also mandates that agencies maintain an inventory of all software used and that the state develop a statewide information policy for open government data, ensuring data is complete, timely, accessible, machine-processable, nondiscriminatory, nonproprietary, and license-free, with specific principles for its availability and use. The Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology is tasked with developing and implementing this policy, consulting with the Secretary of State on archiving, and providing technical advice consistent with these open data principles during the development or acquisition of information systems.