CHAPTER 473
An Act to facilitate access to operational data and information of state agencies for use by the public and the standing committees of the General Assembly to promote the effectiveness and efficiency of state government.
Approved March 23, 2015
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. The Secretaries of Administration, Finance, and Technology shall jointly establish a work group to provide the public, the Chairmen of each standing committee of the General Assembly or their designees, and a designated staff member of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance with access to data and information pertaining to the operation of state agencies within the subject matter jurisdiction of each standing committee. Access shall be by electronic means to the extent possible, as determined by the work group, taking into account security and privacy restrictions. Where it is not currently feasible to provide such access by electronic means due to the costs or technological considerations, the provision of such data or documentation may be made available by hard copy, provided, however, that in the latter case, the work group shall prepare written documentation on alternative approaches and costs to modify systems so that relevant data may be accessed in an electronic fashion on an ongoing basis, if desired.
Such electronic access shall include the following data and information:
1. Any agency mission statement;
2. The current agency budget;
3. The total number of full-time and part-time employees at the agency;
4. The current cash balance of the agency;
5. All sources of state or federal funding received by the agency, preferably over the immediately preceding five years, and the amount thereof;
6. Any grant awarded by the agency and the amount thereof; and
7. Any contracts in excess of $10,000 awarded by the agency and the cost thereof.
§ 2. The Secretaries of Administration, Finance, and Technology shall ensure that the work group makes substantial progress toward accessing the information and data required by § 1 on or before November 1, 2015, and identify possible future steps to further facilitate electronic access to such data.