PRINTER'S NO. 1906
No. 1566 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, GORDNER, SCRIMENTI, BEBKO-JONES,
CAPPABIANCA, PESCI, CLARK, HUTCHINSON, SHANER, FAIRCHILD,
DRUCE, BELARDI, RAYMOND, VAN HORNE, TIGUE, VITALI, WAUGH,
NICKOL, COWELL, MANDERINO, WALKO, C. WILLIAMS, BENNINGHOFF,
MAITLAND, MELIO, ITKIN, DeLUCA, JOSEPHS, LEDERER, STEELMAN,
TRELLO, TULLI, COY, JAMES, LAUGHLIN, CORPORA, ORIE, THOMAS,
ROSS, HENNESSEY AND RAMOS, JUNE 3, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 3, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 10, 1968 (P.L.1158, No.365),
2 entitled "An act creating and establishing the Legislative
3 Data Processing Committee: providing for its membership;
4 prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and making an
5 appropriation," providing for public access via computer
6 technology to State legislative information.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 2 of the act of December 10, 1968
10 (P.L.1158, No.365), entitled "An act creating and establishing
11 the Legislative Data Processing Committee: providing for its
12 membership; prescribing its powers, functions and duties; and
13 making an appropriation," is amended by adding clauses to read:
14 Section 2. The committee shall have the following powers and
15 duties:
16 * * *
17 (7) To make all of the following information available in
1 electronic form to the public, immediately upon the effective
2 date of this act, including, but not limited to, State
3 universities and colleges, public libraries, school districts
4 and individual citizens of this Commonwealth or the country:
5 (i) The text of each bill introduced in each current
6 legislative session, including each amended form of each bill
7 and the text of each amendment introduced.
8 (ii) The bill history of each bill introduced and amended in
9 each current legislative session.
10 (iii) The bill status of each bill introduced and amended in
11 each current legislative session.
12 (iv) The topic index for bills introduced in the current
13 legislative session of the General Assembly.
14 (v) The legislative calendar of the General Assembly.
15 (vi) The schedule of committee hearings.
16 (vii) Current statutes of the Commonwealth, including the
17 chronological history of each.
18 (viii) The Constitution of Pennsylvania.
19 (ix) The Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin.
20 (x) Any veto message concerning a bill in the current
21 session.
22 (xi) Election results for all Statewide public offices and
23 the General Assembly for the previous six years.
24 (xii) A listing of all registered lobbyists of the General
25 Assembly, including their addresses, telephone numbers and
26 organizations or individuals they represent.
27 (8) To make all of the following information available in
28 electronic form to the public, within two years of the effective
29 date of this act, including, but not limited to, State
30 universities and colleges, public libraries, school districts
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1 and individual citizens of this Commonwealth or the country:
2 (i) Directory of the Commonwealth departments in all
3 branches of government.
4 (ii) Legislative journals of the General Assembly.
5 (iii) Press releases of members of the General Assembly.
6 (iv) Analyses of legislative bills considered by either
7 house of the General Assembly.
8 (v) Any additional files and information that all of the
9 caucuses of the General Assembly agree to.
10 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
11 Section 2.1. (a) The information under section 2(7) and (8)
12 shall be made available to the public by means of access by way
13 of a large nonproprietary, nonprofit cooperative public computer
14 network. The information shall be made available in one or more
15 formats and by one or more means in order to provide the
16 greatest feasible access to the general public. Any person who
17 accesses the information may access all or any part of the
18 information. The information may also be made available by any
19 other current technological means of access that would
20 facilitate public access to the information. The information
21 that is maintained by the Legislative Data Processing Center
22 shall be made available in the shortest feasible time after the
23 information is available in the information system.
24 (b) Any documentation that describes the electronic digital
25 formats of the information identified under section 2(7) and (8)
26 and is available to the public shall be made available by means
27 of access by way of the computer network specified under
28 subsection (a).
29 (c) Personal information concerning a person who accesses
30 the information may be maintained only for the purpose of
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1 providing service to the person. Such information shall be kept
2 confidential and shall not be released to any individual or
3 government entity.
4 (d) No fee or other charge shall be imposed as a condition
5 of accessing the information under section 2(7) and (8).
6 (e) The electronic public access provided by way of the
7 computer network specified under subsection (a) shall be in
8 addition to other electronic or print distribution of the
9 information.
10 (f) No action taken under this section shall be considered
11 to alter or relinquish any copyright or other proprietary
12 interest or entitlement of the Commonwealth relating to any of
13 the information made available under this section.
14 Section 3. This act shall take effect in six months.
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