Requiring the department of management to establish and operate a searchable internet site containing budget, audit, and financial information of school districts

The searchable internet site is required to be developed in such a way that the information can be provided to other software applications, including internet software applications, in a manner and format that allows such software applications to access and interpret the items, data, and information using the internal programming of the software applications. The searchable internet site developed pursuant to the bill is required to allow the public at no cost to search and compile such information. Each school district is required to provide the following to the department of management: (1) the school district’s budget; (2) all state audits or reports of the school district; (3) the school district’s quarterly financial statements and other specified financial information; and (4) any other information related to items (1), (2), or (3), as specified by the director of the department of management. Effective July 1, 2021, the bill requires the searchable internet site to be updated regularly as new items, data, and information become available, but shall be updated no less frequently than quarterly thereafter as new items, data, and information become available. All school districts are required to provide to the director data that is required to be included on the searchable internet site not later than 60 days following the close of each quarter during the school budget year. The bill requires the director of the department of management to ensure that all items, data, and information added to the searchable internet site remain accessible to the public for a minimum of 10 years. By January 1 following the conclusion of a school budget year, the director of the department of management is required to add items, data, and information for that budget year to the searchable internet site. Items, data, and information for previous school budget years may be added as it becomes available and as time permits. The bill also establishes criteria to determine the director of the department of management’s compliance with the bill. The bill requires the department of management to conduct a study to evaluate the development, implementation, compliance, and use of the searchable internet site required under the bill and submit a report to the general assembly on or before January 1, 2026.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.