BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 187|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 187
Author: Hertzberg (D)
Amended: 8/23/99 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE : 11-0, 6/29/99
AYES: Baca, Burton, Chesbro, Dunn, Hughes, Johannessen,
Karnette, Knight, Lewis, O'Connell, Perata
NOT VOTING: Johnson
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/20/99 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Grant Information Act of 1999
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill allows state agencies to make
available on their Internet websites, after July 1, 2001, a
listing of all grants administered by that agency, as
specified. (See analysis for specifics.)
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/23/99 make several technical
changes and make the bill permissive rather than mandatory
to address concerns raised by the Governor's Office.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law :
CONTINUED
AB 187
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2
1.Requires state agencies to make available on their
Internet websites, on or before July 1, 1998, or within 6
months of establishment of such a site, whichever is
later, a plain-language form through which individuals
can register complaints or comments relating to the
performance of that agency.
2.Requires specified instructions on how to use the site to
be included on the site.
This bill:
1.Enacts the Grant Information Act of 1999, and in so
doing, allows all state agencies having Internet
websites, to make available on their websites a listing
of all grants administered by the agency, along with
instructions on filing grant applications consistent with
the method the agency establishes for the filing of these
grants.
2.Requires, to the extent feasible, state agencies making
grant application forms available on the Internet, to
advise individuals calling the state agency for
information about a grant program, with certain specified
information.
3.Includes as a state agency under its provisions, the
Office of the Chancellor of the California State
University (CSU), but does not include any individual
campus of the CSU system, or any auxiliary enterprise
affiliated with the CSU.
4.Provides that this act will only apply to the
Chancellor's Office if the decision to award the grant is
under the control of the Chancellor's Office as
described.
5.Defines the term "Grant" to mean a solicited or
unsolicited request for proposal (RFP) or request for
application (RFA), to furnish assistance to another
entity as specified. Does not include the procurement of
goods or services for a state agency, or the acquisition,
construction, alteration, improvement, or repair of real
property for a state agency.
AB 187
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6.Provides that this act will not be implemented until July
1, 2001, unless otherwise authorized by the Department of
Information Technology (DOIT), pursuant to Executive
Order D-3-99.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/24/99)
Los Angeles Unified School District
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
California Association of Nonprofits
City of Berkeley
Alameda County Board of Supervisors
California Park & Recreation Society
California Commission on the Status of Women
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
state grant information is often difficult to access
because this information is often not readily available to
the public. Some state agencies maintain a mailing list of
potential applicants, while still others only provide the
information upon request. Unfortunately, even if an
applicant is interested in pursuing a grant opportunity, it
often requires numerous telephone calls to obtain state
grant information, and very often results in referrals and
re-referrals to multiple locations within a given state
agency.
Many non-profit organizations participating in state grant
programs have indicated that they have not previously
applied for these grants because of the difficulty in
obtaining basic state grant information. The author
believes that these unnecessary restrictions in access to
state grant information serve no useful purpose, and
operate to artificially limit the potential pool of
otherwise qualified applicants. The author believes, it is
within the interests of California to expand the applicant
pool and ensure that state grant opportunities are pursued
by applicants capable of administering these grants.
AB 187
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Utilizing the Internet to post notices of grant
opportunities would facilitate this objective. Supporters
believe that implementation would assure greater access to
grant information and assist applicants to participate in
opportunities made available through the grant process.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 5/20/99
AYES: Aanestad, Ackerman, Alquist, Aroner, Ashburn,
Baldwin, Bates, Battin, Baugh, Bock, Brewer, Briggs,
Calderon, Cardenas, Cardoza, Corbett, Correa, Cox,
Cunneen, Davis, Dickerson, Ducheny, Dutra, Florez, Floyd,
Frusetta, Gallegos, Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, Honda,
House, Jackson, Kaloogian, Keeley, Knox, Kuehl, Leach,
Lempert, Leonard, Longville, Lowenthal, Machado, Maddox,
Maldonado, Margett, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden, Nakano,
Olberg, Oller, Robert Pacheco, Rod Pacheco, Papan,
Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Runner, Scott, Shelley, Soto,
Steinberg, Strickland, Strom-Martin, Thompson, Thomson,
Torlakson, Washington, Wayne, Wesson, Wiggins, Wildman,
Wright, Zettel, Villaraigosa
NOT VOTING: Campbell, Cedillo, Firebaugh, Vincent
TSM:cm 8/24/99 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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