By:  Rosson                                           S.C.R. No. 74
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, An informed and knowledgeable populace is an
    1-2  essential feature of democracy, ensuring that citizens can vote
    1-3  intelligently and participate effectively in our republican form of
    1-4  government; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, The Texas open records law provides that "each
    1-6  person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at
    1-7  all times to complete information about the affairs of government
    1-8  and the official acts of public officials and employees"; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, Texas state government spends over $70 billion each
   1-10  biennium in combined state and federal funds, with substantial
   1-11  impact on the lives and well-being of millions of Texans in every
   1-12  area of the state; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, Allocation or distribution of these funds is based
   1-14  on formulae and criteria established by state law or by the
   1-15  administrative rulemaking of state agencies, boards, or
   1-16  commissions; and
   1-17        WHEREAS, Texas citizens, in order to competently evaluate
   1-18  expenditure patterns and the impact of state government programs,
   1-19  require access to these formulae and criteria and to related
   1-20  funding data; now, therefore, be it
   1-21        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   1-22  hereby declare it to be the policy of this state that facts and
   1-23  information pertaining to the operation, funding, distribution, and
   1-24  allocation of state government resources be readily available to
    2-1  the general public; and, be it further
    2-2        RESOLVED, That the legislature direct each executive-branch
    2-3  agency, board, and commission, to the extent practical within its
    2-4  available resources, to develop and disseminate at least annually
    2-5  facts and information explaining the sources and expenditures of
    2-6  funds for each program it administers, including formulae or
    2-7  criteria that affect the distribution or allocation of such funds;
    2-8  and, be it further
    2-9        RESOLVED, That expenditure information be broken down, to the
   2-10  extent that existing resources and information systems allow, on a
   2-11  county-by-county basis and in per capita terms; and, be it further
   2-12        RESOLVED, That each state agency, board, or commission
   2-13  affected by this resolution endeavor, to the extent that existing
   2-14  resources and information systems allow, to make its information
   2-15  available electronically through the largest nonproprietary,
   2-16  nonprofit cooperative public computer network.