1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to state government; enumerating principles 
  1.3             for establishing statewide universal public access to 
  1.4             telecommunication and information services; 
  1.5             appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 15. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [15.949] [STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES; 
  1.9   TELECOMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SERVICES.] 
  1.10     The legislature declares it to be in the public interest to 
  1.11  encourage, coordinate, and assist in the planning, preparation, 
  1.12  process-formulation, development, improvement, implementation, 
  1.13  and provision, primarily through public-private partnerships, of 
  1.14  a statewide infrastructure and system that ensures universal 
  1.15  public access by the citizens of Minnesota to telecommunication 
  1.16  and information services.  In pursuit of that endeavor, the 
  1.17  legislature adopts the following guiding principles: 
  1.18     (1) Access to government information is a fundamental right 
  1.19  of all citizens in a democracy. 
  1.20     (2) Responsive provision of information access and 
  1.21  dissemination of government information are essential functions 
  1.22  of government. 
  1.23     (3) Public access to government information should be free, 
  1.24  and any charge for copies should not exceed marginal cost. 
  1.25     (4) All citizens, regardless of geographic location, 
  1.26  physical ability, cultural differences, or socio-economic status 
  2.1   must have equitable and affordable access to government 
  2.2   information. 
  2.3      (5) The Minnesota government data practices act and other 
  2.4   information access policy laws must be complied with and 
  2.5   enforced at all levels of government. 
  2.6      (6) Privacy is a right that must be maintained and 
  2.7   protected in the context of changing technology. 
  2.8      (7) Government information must exist in the public domain 
  2.9   to the greatest extent possible. 
  2.10     (8) Government shall ensure that government employees and 
  2.11  citizens have the tools, applications, training, and support for 
  2.12  electronic access. 
  2.13     (9) Interaction among citizens, governments, businesses, 
  2.14  and organizations must be promoted through the use of 
  2.15  information technology and networks. 
  2.16     (10) Citizens must be enabled and encouraged to be 
  2.17  consumers and producers of electronic information and services. 
  2.18     (11) The state shall ensure that all citizens of Minnesota 
  2.19  have the benefits of universal service. 
  2.20     (12) Effective competition in telecommunications services 
  2.21  in Minnesota is an essential component of effective access and 
  2.22  interactive use of government information and services in 
  2.23  electronic form. 
  2.24     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.25     $....... is appropriated to the commissioner of 
  2.26  administration from the general fund for the purposes of section 
  2.27  1.  This appropriation is available until July 1, 1997.