An Act concerning the development of a State expenditure Internet website, supplementing P.L.1948, c.92 (C.52:18A-1 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. As used in this act:

"Chief Technology Officer" means the person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor, pursuant to section 9 of P.L.2007, c.56 (C.52:18A-227), who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office of Information Technology, in but not of the Department of the Treasury;

"Internet" means the international computer network of both federal and non-federal interoperable packet switched data networks;

"State agency" means any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of State Government and any division, board, bureau, office, commission, or other instrumentality within or created by such principal department, and any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality, or agency; and

"State Treasurer" means the Treasurer of the State of New Jersey.

2. a. The State Treasurer, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer, shall, on or before July, 1 2012, design and develop, maintain and operate a single, searchable Internet website with the capacity to retain and display data and information concerning State expenditures, including but not limited to purchases, contracts, or agreements and grants, awards, or loans, the cost or contract price of which is to be paid with or out of State funds by or on behalf of a State agency, pursuant to various provisions of State law.

b. The State expenditure website developed in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, be: (1) accessible through a link prominently displayed on the home page of the official website for the State of New Jersey; (2) available to the general public without charge for access; and (3) organized chronologically by State fiscal year, with additional consideration for type of expenditure and State agency involved with the expenditure of State funds. The website shall provide opportunity for public comment regarding its utility and recommendations for its improvement.

c. Data and information made available on the State expenditure website may be updated or revised periodically, but shall not be subject to removal.

d. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the State expenditure website shall not retain or display data or information deemed private or confidential by State or federal law, rules, or regulations.

3. a. The State Treasurer shall, for State fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2012, publish, on the State expenditure website developed in accordance with subsection a. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), notice of all purchases, contracts, or agreements and notice of all grants, awards, or loans, the cost or contract price of which is to be paid with or out of State funds by or on behalf of a State agency, pursuant to various provisions of State law.

b. The notice of a purchase, contract, or agreement published in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, include: (1) the name and address of the entity contracting with the State; (2) the names of the principal officers and directors of the entity and, if the contracting entity is a subsidiary of another entity, the name and address of the parent entity and the names of its principal officers and directors; (3) a description of the goods and services provided; (4) the cost or price; (5) the beginning and termination dates; and (6) the State fund from which the contract is to be paid with or out of.

c. The notice of a grant, award, or loan published in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, include: (1) the name and address of the entity receiving a grant from the State; (2) the names of the principal officers and directors of the entity and, if the entity receiving the grant is a subsidiary of another entity, the name and address of the parent entity and the names of its principal officers and directors; (3) a statement indicating the purpose or intent of the grant; (4) the cost or price; (5) the date of the award; and (6) the State fund from which the grant is to be paid with or out of.

4. The State Treasurer shall develop rules and regulations, pursuant to the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the State Treasurer to organize and publish certain State contract and grant data and information on a single, searchable Internet website.

Under the provisions of the bill, the State Treasurer, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer in the Office of Information Technology, is required to design and develop, operate and maintain an Internet website with the capacity to retain and display data and information concerning State expenditures. For purposes of the bill, State expenditures include but are not limited to purchases, contracts, or agreements, and grants, awards, or loans paid with or out of State funds by or on behalf of a State agency.

The bill provides that on or before July 1, 2012, the State expenditure website must, at a minimum, be: (1) accessible through a link prominently displayed on the home page of the official website for the State of New Jersey; (2) available to the general public without charge for access; and (3) organized chronologically by State fiscal year, with additional consideration for type of expenditure and State agency involved with the expenditure of State funds. The website must also provide an opportunity for public input regarding its utility and recommendations for its improvement.

In addition, the bill provides that the State expenditure website may be updated or revised periodically, but stipulates that data and information made available must not be subject to removal. Provisions of the bill also stipulate that the State Treasurer is prohibited from displaying data or information deemed private or confidential by State or federal law, rules, or regulations.

For State fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2012, the bill requires the State Treasurer to utilize the website to publish notice of certain contracts and grants. In particular, the State Treasurer is required to utilize the website to publish notice of all purchases, contracts, or agreements and all grants, awards, or loans, the cost or contract price of which is to be paid with or out of State funds by or on behalf of a State agency.

In providing notice of a purchase, contract, or agreement, the State Treasurer must disclose: (1) the name and address of the entity contracting with the State; (2) the names of the principal officers and directors of the entity and, if the contracting entity is a subsidiary of another entity, the name and address of the parent entity and the names of its principal officers and directors; (3) a description of the goods and services provided; (4) the cost or price; (5) the beginning and termination dates; and (6) the State fund from which the contract is paid with or out of. Under the bill, similar information is required for notice of all grants, awards, or loans.

The development of a State expenditure Internet website is intended to provide State residents with an easily accessible and comprehensive "one stop" source for information on the expenditure of State funds. Similar to the initiatives in more than a dozen states, the development of a single, searchable website for contract and grant data and information will improve transparency and accountability and simplify the process to access information concerning the allocation and spending of public tax dollars.