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.