Bill > A11363

This bill, titled the "Online Revenues and Expenditures Transparency Act," mandates the creation of a single, searchable budget database website accessible to the public at no cost. This website, to be developed by the director of the office for technology in collaboration with the director of the budget, will provide comprehensive information on state finances, including annual expenditures and funding actions provided to entities, recipients, or agencies, detailing the funding source, amount, purpose, and expected and final outcomes for corporate subsidies. It will also include data on bond debt payments, local aid to cities and towns, annual revenues from various sources like taxes and agency earnings, and annual bonded indebtedness. The bill defines key terms such as "searchable budget database website," "entity" and "recipient" (excluding individual recipients of state assistance), "agency" (including state departments, authorities, and elective offices), "funding source," "funding action or expenditure," "expected outcome," "final outcome," and "state audit or report." The website must be operational by February 1, 2027, retain information for at least ten years, and be updated as new data becomes available, with agencies required to submit data within thirty days of its availability. Importantly, the bill explicitly states that individual businesses' tax liability, profits, sales, or losses will not be disclosed, and compliance will be measured by the data's accessibility in a searchable and aggregate manner, without redirecting users to other websites unless those sites also meet the transparency requirements.