State contract transparency proposal advances

Lawmakers gave first-round approval March 14 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.

Crawford said the measure would build on the success of the Taxpayer Transparency Act passed in 2009 by allowing citizens to find and read contracts online that have been entered into by the state.

“Nebraska taxpayers deserve to know where their money is being spent,” Crawford said.

A Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee amendment, adopted 36-0, replaced the bill.

As amended, 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 with 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 as letters of agreement for services to a specifically named individual would be exempt from the bill’s provisions.

Agencies 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.

Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln, chairperson of the committee, said the amendment would substantially reduce the proposal’s fiscal impact by removing subcontracts from the bill’s provisions, while maintaining the intent of greater government transparency.

The bill advanced to select file on a 37-0 vote.