HOUSE HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL 452

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC ACCESS TO BUDGET INFORMATION; REQUIRING CREATION OF A SEARCHABLE BUDGET DATABASE WITH PUBLIC ACCESS; ENACTING THE BUDGET TRANSPARENCY ACT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the "Budget Transparency Act".

     Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Budget Transparency Act:

          A. "department" means the department of finance and administration; and

          B. "local government" means an incorporated municipality or a county. 

     Section 3. SEARCHABLE BUDGET DATABASE--PUBLIC ACCESS--REQUIRED CREATION.--

          A. The secretary of finance and administration, in coordination with the secretary of information technology, shall develop and make available to the public an easily accessible, searchable budget database on the department's web site that is a single unit and that displays the state budget for each year beginning with fiscal year 2012 within forty-five days following the adoption of the general appropriations bill for each fiscal year.

          B. The state budget database shall include all appropriations of state and federal money available for expenditure in the fiscal year.

          C. The budgets of each local government in the state shall be accessible through clearly visible links on the department's budget database web site.

          D. To the extent possible, a search in the state's budget database shall also search prior state databases and current and prior budget databases of all of the local governments.

     Section 4. LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETS.--

          A. Within forty-five days after the adoption by a local government of its budget, but no later than June 1 of any fiscal year beginning on or after June 1, 2013, the department shall provide an easily accessible, searchable budget database that displays the budget and all appropriations of local governments.

          B. The local government budget database shall be maintained by the department and tested by the department as to format, content, ease of access and ability to search and find data prior to being made available to the public.

- 3 -