State contract transparency proposal amended, advanced

Lawmakers gave second-round approval April 5 to a bill intended to increase transparency in the expenditure of state funds.

LB429, introduced by Bellevue Sen. Sue Crawford, would require the state to provide access to contract information via the Internet.

As amended on general file, LB429 would require the state treasurer’s website to include a link to the state Department of Administrative Services (DAS) website, beginning July 1, 2014, which would contain a searchable database of all active contracts that are the basis for an expenditure of state funds.

All agencies and departments of the state would be required to provide DAS an electronic copy of contracts that are active on or after Jan. 1, 2014.

References to all subcontracts would be removed and contracts entered into by the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as letters of agreement for services to a specifically named individual would be exempt from the bill’s provisions.

Crawford said several agencies expressed concern between general and select file debate regarding contracts similar to those exempted for DHHS.

As a result, she offered an amendment that added the University of Nebraska or any state college and the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs to the bill’s exemption for contracts for specified services to named individuals.

The amendment also would exempt contracts entered into by the state Energy Office to provide financing from the Dollar and Energy Saving Loan program and for employment contracts with any agency, board, commission or department of the state.

Crawford said the amendment involved narrow exemptions and would not weaken the intent of LB429.

“Government transparency is important,” she said. “The state of Nebraska has an obligation to provide this information in a usable format.”

Under the bill, agencies also would be allowed to redact certain information, such as:
• a social security number;
• federal identification number;
• protected public health information;
• information that may be withheld under public records law; or
• any information that is confidential under state or federal law.

Papillion Sen. Bill Kintner offered, and later withdrew, an amendment that would have limited the bill’s provisions to contracts that exceed $1,000.

After adopting the Crawford amendment 29-0, senators advanced the bill to final reading by voice vote.