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SB-1494 State agency Web sites: information.(2007-2008)

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SB1494:v97#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  April 10, 2008
Amended  IN  Senate  April 02, 2008

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2007–2008 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1494


Introduced  by  Senator McClintock, Florez

February 21, 2008


An act to add Title 21 (commencing with Section 99600) to the Government Code, relating to state government.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1494, as amended, McClintock. State agency Web sites: information.
Existing law imposes specified duties on state governmental agencies and provides for public access to government records.
This bill would require each state department and agency to develop and operate a Web site accessible by the public that includes specified information relating to expenditures of state funds, defined to include, among other things, grants, contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, and tax refunds, rebates, and credits.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Title 21 (commencing with Section 99600) is added to the Government Code, to read:

TITLE 21. TAXPAYER TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2008

99600.
 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2008.

99601.
 (a) The following definitions apply for purposes of this title:
(1) “Searchable Web site” means a Web site that allows the public to search and aggregate information described in Section 99602 and is accessible from any department’s or agency’s homepage.
(2) “Expenditure of state funds” means the expenditure or transfer of any state appropriated or nonappropriated funds in an amount in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) by any department, agency, office or entity of state government in forms the form of, including, but not limited to any of the following:
(A) Grants.
(B) Contracts.
(C) Subcontracts.
(D) Purchase orders.
(E) Tax refunds, rebates, and credits.
(F) Expenditures from the Reserve for Revenue Fluctuations a reserve account for use in the event of any revenue fluctuations.
(b) “Expenditure of state funds” shall not include the transfer of funds between two departments, agencies, offices or entities of state government, or the transfer of state or federal assistance payments to an individual recipient or beneficiary of those assistance payments.

99602.
 (a) No later than January July 1, 2009, with assistance from the office of the State Chief Information Officer, the Department of Finance, the Department of General Services and the Governor’s office, each state department and agency shall develop and operate a Web site, accessible by the public at no cost, that includes all of the following:
(1) For each expenditure of state funds, information including, but not limited to the following:
(A) The name and principal location or residence of each entity or other recipient of the funds.
(B) The amount of expenditure.
(C) The type of transaction.
(D) The identity of the department, agency, office, or other entity of state government making the expenditure.
(E) The budget program source for the expenditure.
(F) A description of the purpose of the expenditure.
(G) A description of any item purchased pursuant to the expenditure.
(H) Any other information deemed relevant by the Department of Finance, the office of the State Chief Information Officer, the Department of General Services, and the Governor’s office.
(2) The ability of the user to view information on the Web site in a format that is searchable and that may be downloaded and managed by the user with appropriate software.
(3) The ability of users to provide input to the Department of Finance each respective department or agency regarding the utility of the site and recommendations for improvements to the site.
(b) The Web site shall include information for the 2007–08 fiscal year no later than January July 1, 2009, and thereafter, the Web site shall be updated and shall include information for the most recently completed fiscal year by June 30th each year. month.
(c) Each department, agency, and entity of state government shall fully cooperate with the Department of Finance, the office of the State Chief Information Officer, the Department of General Services, and the Governor’s office in compiling and providing all information necessary to comply with the requirements of this section.
(d) Nothing in this section requires disclosure of information deemed confidential or otherwise exempt from disclosure under state or federal law.