Date: Sun, 9 Oct 94 22:16:29 EDT From: Michael Swayze Subject: ALERT: New Jersey Internet Bill Pending If you are interested in following the progress of New Jersey's public access bill S1068 just let me know and I will add you to the mailing list. (This message is being cross-posted to a number of newsgroups. Sorry about any duplication.) On September 26 the New Jersey State Senate's Government Committee voted 5-0 in favor of a bill to make information on laws, legislation and legislative activity available to the public without charge via the Internet. The bill is scheduled for full consideration by the State Senate in the very near future. You can show your support for S1068 by writing or faxing your State Senator. A copy of your letter should also be sent to: Senator Donald DiFrancesco Senator Joseph Bubba (Senate President) (bill sponsor) 1816 Front Street 1117 Rt. 46 East Suite 202 Scotch Plains, New Jersey 07076 Clifton, New Jersey 07013 FAX: 908-322-9347 FAX: 201-473-2174 Future ACTION ALERTS for New Jersey's Internet bill will be issued. If you want to remain informed and placed on the S1068 Mailing List or need the address of your State Senator email to: swayze@pilot.njin.net Your support is appreciated. <<>> SENATE, No. 1068 STATE OF NEW JERSEY INTRODUCED MAY 16, 1994 By Senator BUBBA An ACT providing for public access to legislative information in electronic form, and supplementing P.L.1979, c.8. (C.52:11-54 et seq.). BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. The Office of Legislative Services shall make available to the public in electronic form the following information: (1) the most current available compilation of the official text of the statutes of New Jersey; (2) the texts of all bills introduced during the two-year session of the Legislature, including amended versions, as well as sponsor statements, committee statements, fiscal notes, and veto messages; (3) bill-indexing data on all bills pending in the Legislature, including indexing by subject and sponsor and, where appropriate, by citation of the section of law to be amended by a bill; (4) bill-tracking data on all bills pending in the Legislature, including the history of actions and current status; (5) a current calendar of legislative events, including the schedule of legislative committee meetings, and a list of bills scheduled for legislative action; (6) a current directory of the members of the Legislature, including complete committee membership information; (7) the texts of all chapter laws beginning with laws enacted during 1994; and (8) such other information as the Legislative Services Commission shall direct. b. The information specified in subsection a. shall be made available to the public through the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network. c. No fee or usage charge shall be imposed by the Office of Legislative Services as a condition of accessing the information specified in subsection a. of this section through the network described in subsection b. of this section. d. The Office of Legislative Services may offer a fee-based electronic legislative information service which may include, in addition to the information specified in subsection a., the following information and capabilities: (1) the ability for users to automatically maintain updated private databases and receive notification of scheduled action on specific bills or subject matter; (2) the ability for users to retrieve information by various means of searching full text; and (3) archives of bill texts and related information from prior sessions of the Legislature. e. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a private individual or entity from using the information specified in subsection a. to provide, either commercially or on a voluntary basis, services similar to those provided by the Office of Legislative Services pursuant to subsection d. 2. This act shall take effect on the second Tuesday in January 1996. STATEMENT This bill would require the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) to make available to the public, in electronic form, the following information: the texts of statutes (in both a compiled format and by chapter law beginning with laws enacted during 1994); the texts of pending bills along with sponsor statements, committee statements, fiscal notes and veto messages; bill indexing and tracking information; a calendar of legislative events; a directory of members of the Legislature, including a listing of committee memberships; and such other information as the Legislative Services Commission shall direct. Information would be provided through the largest nonproprietary cooperative public computer network (Internet). No fee or usage charge would be imposed by OLS for the privilege of accessing this information. The bill would also permit OLS to offer, via Internet, a fee-based legislative information service which, in addition to providing the foregoing information, would enable users to: automatically update private databases; receive notification of scheduled action on specific bills or subject matter; retrieve information by various means of searching full text; and access archives of bill texts and related information from prior sessions of the Legislature. At present, four states (California, Hawaii, Minnesota and Utah) offer "full-text" legislative information through Internet without usage fees. OLS currently offers an electronic information system which is available to users for a monthly fee. The bill would make this information available to a broader range of users with no fee imposed by OLS. By enhancing public access to the texts of statutes the bill would increase compliance with existing law. In addition, facilitating access by members of the public to information on pending legislation would increase awareness of, and participation in, the legislative process. _______________________ Requires Office of Legislative Services to make information on laws, legislation and legislative activity available to the public in electronic form. Michael Swayze |"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of swayze@pilot.njin.net |the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the |beginning of wisdom." --Bertrand Russell