1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to state government; requiring electronic 
  1.3             versions of the guidebook of state agencies and the 
  1.4             State Register to be available on the Internet; 
  1.5             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.6             sections 14.04; and 14.46, subdivision 4; Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 16E.07, subdivision 
  1.8             3. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 14.04, is 
  1.11  amended to read: 
  1.12     14.04 [AGENCY ORGANIZATION; GUIDEBOOK.] 
  1.13     To assist interested persons dealing with it, each agency 
  1.14  shall, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner of 
  1.15  administration, prepare a description of its organization, 
  1.16  stating the general course and method of its operations and 
  1.17  where and how the public may obtain information or make 
  1.18  submissions or requests.  The commissioner of administration 
  1.19  shall publish these descriptions at least once every four years 
  1.20  commencing in 1981 in a guidebook of state agencies.  Notice of 
  1.21  the publication of the guidebook shall be published in the State 
  1.22  Register and given in newsletters, newspapers, or other 
  1.23  publications, or through other means of communication.  The 
  1.24  commissioner shall make an electronic version of the guidebook 
  1.25  available on the Internet free of charge through the North Star 
  1.26  information service. 
  1.27     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 14.46, 
  2.1   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.2      Subd. 4.  [COST; DISTRIBUTION.] When an agency properly 
  2.3   submits a rule, proposed rule, notice, or other material to the 
  2.4   commissioner of administration, the commissioner shall then be 
  2.5   accountable for the publication of the same in the State 
  2.6   Register.  The commissioner of administration shall require each 
  2.7   agency which requests the publication of rules, proposed rules, 
  2.8   notices, or other material in the State Register to pay its 
  2.9   proportionate cost of the State Register unless other funds are 
  2.10  provided and are sufficient to cover the cost of the State 
  2.11  Register. 
  2.12     The State Register shall be offered for public sale at a 
  2.13  location centrally located as determined by the commissioner of 
  2.14  administration and at a price as the commissioner of 
  2.15  administration shall determine.  The commissioner of 
  2.16  administration shall further provide for the mailing of the 
  2.17  State Register to any person, agency, or organization if so 
  2.18  requested, provided that reasonable costs are borne by the 
  2.19  requesting party.  The supply and expense appropriation to any 
  2.20  state agency is deemed to include funds to purchase the State 
  2.21  Register.  Ten copies of each issue of the State Register, 
  2.22  however, shall be provided without cost to the legislative 
  2.23  reference library and ten copies to the state law library.  One 
  2.24  copy shall be provided without cost to a public library in each 
  2.25  county seat in the state or, if there is no public library in a 
  2.26  county seat, to a public library in the county as designated by 
  2.27  the county board.  The commissioner shall advise the recipient 
  2.28  libraries of the significance and content of the State Register 
  2.29  and shall encourage efforts to promote its usage. 
  2.30     The commissioner shall make an electronic version of the 
  2.31  State Register available on the Internet free of charge through 
  2.32  the North Star information service. 
  2.33     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  2.34  16E.07, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.35     Subd. 3.  [ACCESS TO DATA.] The legislature determines that 
  2.36  the greatest possible access to certain government information 
  3.1   and data is essential to allow citizens to participate fully in 
  3.2   a democratic system of government.  Certain information and 
  3.3   data, including, but not limited to the following, must be 
  3.4   provided free of charge or for a nominal cost associated with 
  3.5   reproducing the information or data: 
  3.6      (1) directories of government services and institutions, 
  3.7   including an electronic version of the guidebook to state agency 
  3.8   services published by the commissioner of administration; 
  3.9      (2) legislative and rulemaking information, including an 
  3.10  electronic version of the State Register, public information 
  3.11  newsletters, bill text and summaries, bill status information, 
  3.12  rule status information, meeting schedules, and the text of 
  3.13  statutes and rules; 
  3.14     (3) supreme court and court of appeals opinions and general 
  3.15  judicial information; 
  3.16     (4) opinions of the attorney general; 
  3.17     (5) campaign finance and public disclosure board and 
  3.18  election information; 
  3.19     (6) public budget information; 
  3.20     (7) local government documents, such as codes, ordinances, 
  3.21  minutes, meeting schedules, and other notices in the public 
  3.22  interest; 
  3.23     (8) official documents, releases, speeches, and other 
  3.24  public information issued by government agencies; and 
  3.25     (9) the text of other government documents and publications 
  3.26  that government agencies determine are important to public 
  3.27  understanding of government activities. 
  3.28     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.29     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.30  commissioner of administration in fiscal year 1999 for purposes 
  3.31  of sections 1 to 3.