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First Substitute S.B. 18

Senator Wayne L. Niederhauser proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
UTAH TRANSPARENCY ADVISORY BOARD

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Wayne L. Niederhauser

             6     
House Sponsor: Kenneth W. Sumsion

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill requires certain local governments and other entities to provide information to
             11      and participate in the Utah Public Finance Website.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines terms;
             15          .    changes the composition of the Utah Transparency Advisory Board;
             16          .    provides for financial information from certain local entities to be included on the
             17      local entities' websites and linked to the Utah Public Finance Website;
             18          .    provides for an exception from liability provisions for improper disclosure of
             19      records under Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management
             20      Act;
             21          .    provides time periods for the provision of financial information by local entities;
             22      and
             23          .    makes technical changes.
             24      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             25          None


             26      Other Special Clauses:
             27          None
             28      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             29      AMENDS:
             30          63A-3-401, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 234
             31          63A-3-402, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 234
             32          63A-3-403, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 234
             33          63A-3-404, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 234
             34      ENACTS:
             35          63A-3-405, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             36     
             37      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             38          Section 1. Section 63A-3-401 is amended to read:
             39           63A-3-401. Definitions.
             40          As used in this part:
             41          (1) "Board" means the Utah Transparency Advisory Board created under Section
             42      63A-3-403 .
             43          (2) "Division" means the Division of Finance of the Department of Administrative
             44      Services.
             45          (3) "Participating local entity" means each of the following local entities, if the entity
             46      meets the size or budget thresholds established by the rules authorized under Subsection
             47      63A-3-404 (2)(a):
             48          (a) a county;
             49          (b) a municipality;
             50          (c) a local district under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Local
             51      Districts;
             52          (d) a special service district under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act;
             53          (e) a school district; and
             54          (f) a charter school.
             55          [(3)] (4) "Participating state entity" means the state of Utah, including its executive,
             56      legislative, and judicial branches, its departments, divisions, agencies, boards, commissions,


             57      councils, committees, and institutions.
             58          [(4)] (5) "Public financial information" means records that are required to be made
             59      available on the Utah Public Finance Website [as required by this part] or a participating local
             60      entity's website as required by this part and as the term is defined by rule under Section
             61      63A-3-404 .
             62          Section 2. Section 63A-3-402 is amended to read:
             63           63A-3-402. Utah Public Finance Website -- Establishment and administration --
             64      Records disclosure.
             65          (1) There is created the Utah Public Finance Website to be administered by the
             66      Division of Finance with the technical assistance of the Department of Technology Services.
             67          (2) The Utah Public Finance Website shall:
             68          (a) permit Utah taxpayers to:
             69          (i) view, understand, and track the use of taxpayer dollars by making public financial
             70      information available on the Internet for participating state entities' [public financial
             71      information available on the Internet;] and participating local entities, using the Utah Public
             72      Finance Website; and
             73          (ii) link to websites administered by participating local entities that do not use the Utah
             74      Public Finance Website for the purpose of providing participating local entities' public
             75      financial information as required by this part and by rule under Section 63A-3-404 ;
             76          (b) allow a person who has Internet access to use the website without paying a fee;
             77          (c) allow the public to search public financial information on the Utah Public Finance
             78      Website using those criteria established by the board;
             79          (d) provide access to financial reports, financial audits, budgets, or other financial
             80      documents that are used to allocate, appropriate, spend, and account for the government funds,
             81      as may be established by rule under Section 63A-3-404 ;
             82          (e) have a unique and simplified website address;
             83          (f) be directly accessible via a link from the main page of the official state website; and
             84          (g) include other links, features, or functionality that will assist the public in obtaining
             85      and reviewing public financial information, as may be established by rule under Section
             86      63A-3-404 .
             87          (3) The division shall [be responsible for]:


             88          (a) [establishing and maintaining] establish and maintain the website, including the
             89      provision of equipment, resources, and personnel as is necessary;
             90          (b) [maintaining] maintain an archive of all information posted to the website;
             91          (c) [coordinating and processing] coordinate and process the receipt and posting of
             92      public financial information from participating state entities; [and]
             93          (d) coordinate and regulate the posting of public financial information by participating
             94      local entities; and
             95          [(d) providing] (e) provide staff support for the advisory committee.
             96          (4) (a) A participating state entity shall permit the public to view the participating
             97      [state] entity's public financial information via the website, beginning with information that is
             98      generated not later than the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2008.
             99          (b) Not later than May 15, 2009, the website shall:
             100          (i) be operational; and
             101          (ii) permit public access to participating state entities' public financial information.
             102          (5) A person who negligently discloses a record that is classified as private, protected,
             103      or controlled by Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act, is
             104      not criminally or civilly liable for an improper disclosure of the record if the record is disclosed
             105      solely as a result of the preparation or publication of the Utah Public Finance Website.
             106          Section 3. Section 63A-3-403 is amended to read:
             107           63A-3-403. Utah Transparency Advisory Board -- Creation -- Membership --
             108      Duties.
             109          (1) There is created within the division the Utah Transparency Advisory Board
             110      comprised of [seven] members knowledgeable about public finance or providing public access
             111      to public financial information as follows:
             112          (a) one member designated by the director of the Division of Finance;
             113          (b) one member designated by the director of the Governor's Office of Planning and
             114      Budget;
             115          (c) one member appointed by the governor on advice from the Judicial Council, who
             116      shall serve until June 30, 2009;
             117          (d) one member appointed by the governor on advice from the Legislative Fiscal
             118      Analyst;


             119          (e) one member of the Senate, appointed by the governor on advice from the president
             120      of the Senate;
             121          (f) one member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the governor on advice
             122      from the speaker of the House of Representatives; [and]
             123          (g) one member designated by the director of the Department of Technology
             124      Services[.]; and
             125          (h) three additional members designated by a majority of the board members appointed
             126      under Subsections (1)(a) through (f) who shall each serve one-year terms as follows:
             127          (i) for the term beginning on July 1, 2009 and ending on June 30, 2010, represent the
             128      following entities:
             129          (A) a school district;
             130          (B) a charter school; and
             131          (C) a public transit district created under Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 8, Public Transit
             132      District Act; and
             133          (ii) for the term beginning on July 1, 2010 and ending on June 30, 2011, represent the
             134      following entities:
             135          (A) a county;
             136          (B) a municipality; and
             137          (C) (I) a local district under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities -
             138      Local Districts, that is not a public transit district created under Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 8,
             139      Public Transit District Act; or
             140          (II) a special service district under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act.
             141          (2) The board shall:
             142          (a) advise the division on matters related to the implementation and administration of
             143      this part;
             144          (b) develop plans, make recommendations, and assist in implementing the provisions
             145      of this part;
             146          (c) determine what public financial information shall be provided by participating state
             147      and local entities, provided that the public financial information:
             148          (i) only includes records that:
             149          (A) are classified as public under Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access


             150      and Management Act;
             151          (B) are an accounting of monies, funds, accounts, bonds, loans, expenditures, or
             152      revenues, regardless of the source; and
             153          (C) are owned, held, or administered by the participating state or local entity that is
             154      required to provide the record; and
             155          (ii) is of the type or nature that should be accessible to the public via a website based
             156      on considerations of:
             157          (A) the cost effectiveness of providing the information;
             158          (B) the value of providing the information to the public; and
             159          (C) privacy and security considerations; [and]
             160          (d) evaluate the cost effectiveness of implementing specific information resources and
             161      features on the website[.];
             162          (e) establish size or budget thresholds to identify those local entities that qualify as
             163      participating local entities as defined in this part, giving special consideration to the budget and
             164      resource limitations of an entity with a current annual budget of less than $10,000,000;
             165          (f) require participating local entities to provide public financial information in
             166      accordance with the requirements of this part, with a specified content, reporting frequency,
             167      and form;
             168          (g) require a participating local entity's website to be accessible by link or other direct
             169      route from the Utah Public Finance Website if the participating local entity does not use the
             170      Utah Public Finance Website; and
             171          (h) determine the search methods and the search criteria that shall be made available to
             172      the public as part of a website used by a participating local entity under the requirements of this
             173      part, which criteria may include:
             174          (i) fiscal year;
             175          (ii) expenditure type;
             176          (iii) name of the agency;
             177          (iv) payee;
             178          (v) date; and
             179          (vi) amount.
             180          (3) The board shall annually elect a chair and a vice chair from its members.


             181          (4) (a) [Each] Except for a member appointed under Subsections (1)(c), (h), and (i),
             182      each member shall serve a two-year term.
             183          (b) When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the replacement shall be
             184      appointed for the remainder of the unexpired term.
             185          (5) The board shall meet as it determines necessary to accomplish its duties.
             186          (6) Reasonable notice shall be given to each member of the board [prior to] before any
             187      meeting.
             188          (7) A majority of the board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
             189          (8) (a) (i) Members who are not government employees shall receive no compensation
             190      or benefits for their services, but may receive per diem and expenses incurred in the
             191      performance of the member's official duties at the rates established by the Division of Finance
             192      under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
             193          (ii) Members may decline to receive per diem and expenses for their service.
             194          (b) (i) State government officer and employee members who do not receive salary, per
             195      diem, or expenses from their agency for their service may receive per diem and expenses
             196      incurred in the performance of their official duties from the board at the rates established by the
             197      Division of Finance under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
             198          (ii) State government officer and employee members may decline to receive per diem
             199      and expenses for their service.
             200          (c) Local government members who do not receive salary, per diem, or expenses from
             201      the entity that they represent for their service may receive per diem and expenses incurred in
             202      the performance of their official duties at the rates established by the Division of Finance under
             203      Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
             204          Section 4. Section 63A-3-404 is amended to read:
             205           63A-3-404. Rulemaking authority.
             206          (1) After consultation with the board, and in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,
             207      Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the Division of Finance shall make rules to:
             208          (a) require participating state entities to provide public financial information for
             209      inclusion on the Utah Public Finance Website;
             210          (b) define, either uniformly for all participating state entities, or on an entity by entity
             211      basis, the term "public financial information" using the standards provided in Subsection


             212      63A-3-403 (2)(c); and
             213          (c) establish procedures for obtaining, submitting, reporting, storing, and providing
             214      public financial information on the Utah Public Finance Website, which may include a
             215      specified reporting frequency and form.
             216          (2) After consultation with the board, and in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,
             217      Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the Division of Finance may make rules to:
             218          (a) require a participating state or local entity to list certain expenditures made by a
             219      person under a contract with the entity; and
             220          (b) if a list is required under Subsection (2)(a), require the following information to be
             221      included:
             222          (i) the name of the participating state or local entity making the expenditure;
             223          (ii) the name of the person receiving the expenditure;
             224          (iii) the date of the expenditure;
             225          (iv) the amount of the expenditure;
             226          (v) the purpose of the expenditure;
             227          (vi) the name of each party to the contract;
             228          (vii) an electronic copy of the contract; or
             229          (viii) any other criteria designated by rule.
             230          Section 5. Section 63A-3-405 is enacted to read:
             231          63A-3-405. Participation by local entities.
             232          (1) (a) Not later than May 15, 2010, the following participating local entities, in
             233      conformity with the rules established under Section 63A-3-404 , shall provide public financial
             234      information through the Utah Public Finance Website or their own website and provide a link
             235      to their website through the Utah Public Finance Website:
             236          (i) school districts;
             237          (ii) charter schools; and
             238          (iii) public transit districts created under Title 17B, Chapter 2a, Part 8, Public Transit
             239      District Act.
             240          (b) Participating local entities subject to this Subsection (1) shall permit information
             241      that is generated not later than the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2009 to be accessible via the
             242      website.


             243          (2) (a) Not later than May 15, 2011, the following participating local entities, in
             244      conformity with the rules established under Section 63A-3-404 , shall be required to provide
             245      public financial information through the Utah Public Finance Website or their own website and
             246      provide a link to their website through the Utah Public Finance Website:
             247          (i) counties;
             248          (ii) municipalities;
             249          (iii) local districts under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local Government Entities - Local
             250      Districts, that are not already required to report; and
             251          (iv) special service districts under Title 17D, Chapter 1, Special Service District Act.
             252          (b) Participating local entities subject to this Subsection (2) shall permit information
             253      that is generated not later than the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2010 to be accessible via the
             254      website.


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