AB120: Bill Text

2009 Assembly BILL 120

March 4, 2009 - Introduced by Representatives Vos, Montgomery, Nygren, Suder, Gundrum, Kramer, Huebsch, Kestell, Kerkman, LeMahieu, Petersen, Cullen, Murtha, J. Ott, Townsend, Mursau, Gunderson, Spanbauer, Bies, Strachota, Kleefisch, Van Roy, Lothian, Petrowski and Honadel, cosponsored by Senators Grothman, Cowles, Hopper, Darling, Leibham and Lazich. Referred to Committee on State Affairs and Homeland Security.

AB120,1,3 An Act to create 16.413 of the statutes; relating to: providing the public with information on state agency operations expenditures and state agency contracts and grants.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

The bill provides that, beginning on July 1, 2011, the Department of Administration (DOA) must ensure that all state agency expenditures for state operations exceeding $100, including salaries and fringe benefits paid to state agency employees, are available for inspection on a searchable Internet Web site maintained by DOA. Under the bill, DOA must categorize the expenditure information on the Web site by state agency, expenditure category, expenditure amount, and the person to whom the expenditure is made. Any person must be able to search on the Web site aggregate expenditures for state operations by state agency, expenditure category, expenditure amount, and the person to whom the expenditure is made.

The bill further provides that, beginning on July 1, 2011, DOA must ensure that all of the following information relating to state agency grants and contracts is available for inspection on a searchable Internet Web site: a copy of the contract and grant award; the state agency making the grant or entering into the contract; the name and address of the person receiving the grant or entering into the contract; the purpose of the grant or contract; and the amount of the grant or the amount the state agency must expend under the contract and the name of the state fund from which the grant is paid or moneys are expended under the contract. Under the bill, DOA must make this information available on the searchable Internet Web site no later than 30 days after the state agency makes a grant or enters into a contract.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB120, s. 1 Section 1. 16.413 of the statutes is created to read:

AB120,2,3 16.413 Disclosure of expenditures relating to state agency operations and state agency contracts and grants. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB120,2,7 (a) "Financial instrument" includes any check, draft, warrant, money order, note, certificate of deposit, letter of credit, bill of exchange, credit or credit card, transaction authorization mechanism, marketable security, and any computer representation of them.

AB120,2,10 (b) "Grant" means a payment made to a person, other than aids to individuals and organizations and local assistance and the payment of salaries and fringe benefits for state employees.

AB120,2,12 (c) "Searchable Internet Web site" means a Web site that allows any person to search for both of the following:

AB120,2,15 1. State aggregate expenditures for state operations by state agency, expenditure category, expenditure amount, and the person to whom the expenditure is made.

AB120,2,16 2. Grants made by state agencies and contracts entered into by state agencies.

AB120,2,17 (d) "State agency" has the meaning given in s. 20.001 (1).

AB120,2,19 (e) "State operations" means all purposes except aids to individuals and organizations and local assistance.

AB120,3,7 (2) State agency expenditures for state operations. (a) Beginning on July 1, 2011, the department shall ensure that all state agency expenditures for state operations exceeding $100, including salaries and fringe benefits paid to state agency employees, are available for inspection on a searchable Internet Web site maintained by the department. Copies of each financial instrument relating to these expenditures, other than payments relating to state employee salaries, shall be available for inspection on the searchable Internet Web site.

AB120,3,12 (b) The department shall categorize the expenditure information under par. (a) by state agency, expenditure category, expenditure amount, and the person to whom the expenditure is made. If any of the expenditure information may be found on other Web sites, the department shall ensure that the information is accessible through the searchable Internet Web site under par. (a).

AB120,3,16 (c) Beginning with expenditures made on July 1, 2011, state agencies shall provide the department with all expenditure information required under par. (a) no later than 60 days after the expenditure is made. The department may specify the format in which state agencies provide the expenditure information.

AB120,3,20 (3) State agency contracts and grants. (a) Beginning on July 1, 2011, the department shall ensure that all of the following information relating to each grant made by a state agency or contract entered into by a state agency is available for inspection on a searchable Internet Web site maintained by the department:

AB120,3,21 1. A copy of the contract and grant award.

AB120,3,22 2. The state agency making the grant or entering into the contract.

AB120,3,24 3. The name and address of the person receiving the grant or entering into the contract.

AB120,3,25 4. The purpose of the grant or contract.

AB120,4,3 5. The amount of the grant or the amount the state agency must expend under the contract and the name of the state fund from which the grant is paid or moneys are expended under the contract.

AB120,4,10 (b) Beginning with grants made and contracts entered into by state agencies on July 1, 2011, state agencies shall provide the department with all of the information required under par. (a) no later than 10 days after the state agency makes a grant or enters into a contract. The department may specify the format in which state agencies provide the information. The department shall make the information available on the searchable Internet Web site no later than 30 days after the state agency makes a grant or enters into a contract.

AB120,4,11 (End)