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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the online availability of information about state |
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expenditures, including the creation of a state database containing |
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information on state expenditures. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 403.024 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 403.024. SEARCHABLE STATE EXPENDITURE DATABASE. (a) |
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In this section, "state agency" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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403.013. |
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(b) The comptroller shall establish and post on the Internet |
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a database of state expenditures, including contracts and grants, |
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that is electronically searchable by the public except as provided |
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by Subsection (c). The database must include: |
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(1) the amount, date, payor, and payee of |
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expenditures; and |
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(2) a listing of state expenditures by: |
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(A) object of expense with links to the warrant |
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or check register level; and |
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(B) as appropriate, class and item levels. |
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(c) To the extent possible, the comptroller shall present |
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information in the database established under this section in a |
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manner that is searchable and intuitive to users. The comptroller |
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shall enhance and organize the presentation of the information |
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through the use of graphical representations, such as pie charts, |
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as the comptroller considers appropriate. At a minimum, the |
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database must allow users to: |
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(1) search and aggregate state funding by any element |
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of the information; |
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(2) ascertain through a single search the total amount |
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of state funding awarded to a person by a state agency; and |
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(3) download information yielded by a search of the |
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database. |
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(d) The comptroller may not allow public access under this |
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section to the home addresses of private individuals or to |
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information posted under this section that is not subject to |
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required disclosure under Chapter 552. It is an affirmative |
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defense to prosecution under Section 552.352(a) that the |
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comptroller or an officer or employee of the comptroller's office |
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acted in reliance on a determination made by a state agency about |
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the confidentiality of information relating to the agency's |
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expenditures. |
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(e) To the extent any information required to be in the |
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database is already being collected or maintained by a state |
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agency, the state agency shall provide that information to the |
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comptroller for inclusion in the database. |
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(f) The comptroller may not charge a fee to the public to |
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access the database. |
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(g) A state agency is required to cooperate with and provide |
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information to the comptroller as necessary to implement and |
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administer this section. |
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(h) The Department of Information Resources, after |
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consultation with the comptroller, shall prominently include a link |
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to the database established under this section on the public home |
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page of the TexasOnline Project described by Section 2054.252. |
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(i) The comptroller may establish procedures and adopt |
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rules to implement this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 2054.126, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: |
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(f) Each state agency that maintains a generally accessible |
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Internet site or for which a generally accessible Internet site is |
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maintained shall include a link on the agency's Internet site to the |
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state expenditure database established under Section 403.024. In |
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this subsection, "state agency" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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403.013. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 403.024 and 2054.126(f), Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, apply only to expenditures made on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than October 1, 2007, the comptroller |
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shall establish the database as required by Section 403.024, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect October 1, 2007. |