Bill > S1695

This bill, known as the "Transparency in Government Act," mandates the creation of a single, publicly accessible, and searchable website by the State Treasurer, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer (the official responsible for the State's information technology operations), to display comprehensive data on state finances. This website will include detailed information on annual state agency expenditures, such as disbursements from the state treasury, bond debt payments, employee salaries, contractual service purchases, commodity purchases, capital outlays, aid to local governments, and other forms of assistance. It will also present annual state revenues, including taxes, agency earnings, revenue from the use of state money and property, gifts, donations, federal grants, and other receipts. Furthermore, the website will detail annual state bonded indebtedness, including the original obligation amount, term, repayment sources, amounts paid, remaining balance, refinancing data, and the statutory authority for issuing bonds. A "Public Finance Transparency Committee," composed of state officials and members of the public, will be established to advise on the website's content and accessibility. The website must be operational and include data from fiscal year 2000 onwards, with data from central accounting and payroll systems to be posted within 45 days of the end of each fiscal year, though the website's full accessibility requirement will take effect seven months after enactment.