SENATE DOCKET, NO. 671        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1621

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act reducing the use of paper and increasing government efficiencies..

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 671        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1621

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1463 OF 2009-2010.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act reducing the use of paper and increasing government efficiencies..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The secretary of administration and finance shall increase the efficiency of government through:

(1) Reducing the use of paper through maximizing the available uses of information technology, including alternative information technologies to substitute for paper and increasing the use of electronic methods for the maintenance, submission, or disclosure of information, to improve data quality, agency efficiency and responsiveness to the public;

(2) Eliminating costly and wasteful government publications through the expanded use of electronic methods for distribution of documentation throughout state government, where feasible and appropriate;

(3) Increasing and maximizing the availability of online transactions; including statutorily and regulatorily required corporate filings and frequently transacted governmental business with the citizens of the Commonwealth;

(4) Maximizing the use and availability electronic forms of payment and eliminating or minimizing any prohibitive fees associated with such transactions; and

(5) Eliminating duplicative permitting and paperwork requirements through implementing inter-agency file sharing technologies in order that electronically stored data can be viewed and routed, where appropriate, by multiple agencies.

Section 2.  The secretary shall investigate any current statutory impediments for the reduction of the use of paper by state government and any impediments both statutory and technological, for more efficient electronic data storage and dissemination.  The secretary shall submit his findings, along with any legislative recommendations to address those findings, to the house and senate clerks, and the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight no later than August 31, 2011.

Section 3.  Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary there shall be a special commission to investigate and make recommendations as to the feasibility of increasing electronic filings, records management and transactions within the judiciary.  Said commission shall investigate the possibility of eliminating, or substantially reducing the utilization of paper filings in court proceedings.

Said commission shall consist of twenty-five members, one of which shall be the chief justice of the supreme judicial court, or her designee, who shall also serve as chair, one of which shall be the chief justice of the appeals court, or his designee, one of which shall be the chief justice for administration and management, or his designee, one of which shall be the chief judge of the probate and family court, or his designee, one of which shall be the chief judge of the land court, or his designee, one of which shall be the attorney general of the commonwealth, or her designee; nineteen of which shall be appointed by the chief justice of the supreme judicial court, provided that three of which shall be district attorneys from diverse dispersed areas of the commonwealth, or their designees; provided further that three of which shall be clerk of courts in the commonwealth, or their designees; provided further that two of which shall be registers of deeds in the commonwealth, or their designees; provided further that two of which shall be registers of probate in the commonwealth, or their designees; provided further that six of which shall be selected from nominations provided by the Massachusetts Bar Association, provided that such persons shall represent diverse practice areas and practice sizes; provided further that four of which shall be experts in areas of information technology, data storage, security and privacy protection.

Said commission shall submit its findings, along with any legislative recommendations necessary to address those findings, to the house and senate clerks, the joint committee on the judiciary, and the joint committee on state administration and regulatory oversight no later than October 15, 2011.