BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          AB 206  
                                                         Page 1

Date of Hearing: April 21, 1997

           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TELEVISING THE ASSEMBLY
                    AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
                       Elaine Alquist, Chair

       AB 206 (Hertzberg) - As Introduced: February 4, 1997

  SUBJECT  :  Requires state agencies to provide complaint forms on  
their web sites.

  SUMMARY  :  Requires state agencies that maintain Internet web sites  
to make complaint forms available on their web site by July 1,  
1998, or within six months of establishing a web site.   
Specifically,  this bill  :  

1) Requires state agencies to allow individuals to register  
   complaints or comments about the performance of the agency via  
   the Internet.

2)  Requires state agencies to notify individuals who call the  
agencies that complaint forms are available electronically and  
public libraries provide free Internet access.

3)  Requires state agencies, to the extent feasible, to print  
their Internet web site addresses in telephone directories.

4)  Requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to compile the  
complaint forms from all state agencies and distribute to public  
libraries.

5)  Requires public libraries, to the extent permitted through  
donations, to provide Internet access and advertise that they  
provide this access.
 
 EXISTING LAW  

1)  Requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to accept and  
investigate written complaints against licensees of the  
department.                                              

  FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unkown additional costs to the Department of  
Consumer Affairs.

  COMMENTS  :  This bill is consistent with Recommendation #5 by the  
Governor's Council on Information Technology recommending the  
establishment of an electronic gateway to California's services.

This bill does not specify if the Department of Consumer Affairs  
is to distribute the complaint forms electronically or in hard  
copy to public libraries.

The Department of Information Technology (DOIT) is already  
mandated by SB1 (Alquist) 1995 to develop plans and policies to  
support and promote effective application of information  
technology within state government.  It also requires DOIT to  







                                                          AB 206  
                                                         Page 2

provide a master plan for providing access to public records by  
January 1, 1997.  As of April 16, 1997 this report has not been  
presented to the Legislature.

The author may wish to take an amendment requiring DOIT to appoint  
an advisory board of state departments and agencies to establish a  
model complaint form.  

The author may wish to take an amendment placing this program  
under DOIT's responsibility to have oversight and require specific  
progress reports to the Legislature.

  REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

  Support  

California Community Colleges
Plannning and Conservation League

  Opposition  



  Analysis prepared by  :  Michael Rapport / atva&it / (916) 445-0541