A. 650 (Kavanagh)

STAFF CONTACT :

Director of Government Afairs
518.465.7511 x207

BILL

A. 650 (Kavanagh)

SUBJECT

Printing & Dissemination of State Agency Reports

DATE

Support

The Business Council supports this legislation which would require state agencies to make available via agency internet websites various reports required by state law.

Many existing laws – and often many newly enacted laws – require state agencies to report back to the Legislature on various factors contained within the statute.  These reporting mandates most often have no sunset provisions.  To ensure requirements are met, agencies must dedicate staff to preparing, printing and distributing these mandated reports, which are often of limited value to many who are listed among those required to receive such reports.

In these economic times, with taxpayer resources strained to meet the increasing needs and costs of government, legislation like this reflects a common sense approach to reining in government costs without diminishing access to the information being disseminated.  While the costs of printing and distributing each report may seem nominal, in the aggregate across state agencies the costs are real and significant.  This legislation modernizes the method by which the information is made available, and increases the access to that information by ensuring it is available to the public, as well as to those members of the Legislature enumerated in the statute requiring such report.

This legislation proposes to take one small step toward acknowledging the cost burdens placed on agencies to produce these documents by requiring the documents to be made available to the public and the Legislature via an agency's website.  If enacted, the agency would be required to provide notification to the Legislature on where the document can be accessed. 

For these reasons, The Business Council supports this bill.