SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of general or special law to the contrary, every agency, authority or other unit of state government that is required by law or regulation to issue an annual report shall issue such report in electronic format and shall not be required to print and distribute said report.  Each agency required to issue an annual report shall post such report in a format available to the public and shall solicit public comment relative to the contents of said report.  Each such agency shall promulgate rules and regulations to ensure review and appropriate consideration of any public comments so received, and shall include a summary of such actions in the next subsequent annual report.

For the purposes of this section, "state agency" shall mean:

                (1) An executive office, department, commission, board, office, or other agency that is in the executive branch of state government or any public authority that was established by the constitution or a statute of the commonwealth;

                (2) The state university system or a public institution of higher education.

                SECTION 2.  Section 15 of Chapter 7 of the General laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of the first sentence, the following: -

provided, further, that no bill for printing shall be approved, unless the agency requesting approval shall satisfactorily demonstrate that the document or documents to be printed could not have been provided in electronic or digital format and made available to the public in a manner that could be downloaded and printed by anyone wishing to obtain a copy of the document or documents.

                SECTION 3.  Section 15 of Chapter 7 of the general laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting in the second sentence, after the words "expert in printing," the words: -

or an expert in information technology.