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Committee advances bill to expand legislative access to agency data with privacy safeguards
Summary
The State and Local Government Committee voted to send HB 2281 to Finance, Ways and Means after sponsors said the bill clarifies which agency records legislative oversight bodies may obtain while protecting criminal-justice privacy. Supporters said it strengthens lawmakers' ability to analyze budgets and program performance.
The State and Local Government Committee voted to send House Bill 22-81 to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee after the sponsor described the bill as a targeted expansion of legislative access to agency data and records.
Sponsor Representative Todd said the legislation "improves transparency and accountability in state government" by giving oversight bodies the tools they need to analyze budgets, expenditures and program performance while ensuring criminal-justice privacy protections remain in place. The committee placed amendment codes 016377 and 016915 on the bill during the session.
Supporters told the committee the measure aims to standardize what records may be shared with lawmakers for oversight and budgeting. No members raised substantive points that altered the bill text during the discussion recorded in committee. The clerk announced the vote: 20 ayes, 0 noes; the measure moves on to Finance, Ways and Means.
The bill’s text and the adopted amendments clarify which records may be requested and include language to safeguard confidential criminal records, according to the sponsor’s explanation. The committee did not request additional written reports or a fiscal note during the session on the floor of the committee.
