The Legislature states policy reasons for managing public records, protecting essential records, expanding electronic access, and ensuring public accountability.
The Legislature declares that: (1) Programs for the systematic and centrally correlated management of state and local records will promote efficiency and economy in the day-to-day record-keeping activities of state and local agencies and will facilitate and expedite governmental operations; (2) Records containing information essential to the operations of government, and to the protection of the rights and interests of persons, must be safeguarded against the destructive effects of all forms of disaster and must be available as needed. It is necessary to adopt special provisions for the selection and preservation of essential state and local records, thereby insuring the protection and availability of such information; (3) The increasing availability and use of computers is creating a growing demand for electronic access to public records, and state and local agencies should use new technology to enhance public access to public records and to reduce costs in maintaining, preserving, or retaining public records; (4) There must be public accountability in the process of collecting, sharing, disseminating, and accessing public records; (5) The Legislature has oversight responsibility for the process of collecting, sharing, disseminating, and providing access, including electronic access, to public records and establishing fees for disseminating and providing access; (6) Several state agencies, individually and collectively, are providing electronic access to public records through various means, including the portal; (7) New technology has allowed state agencies to offer electronic information and services through various means, including the portal; (8) As technology becomes available, state and local agencies should continue to explore providing electronic information and services to individuals, businesses, and other entities; and (9) There is a need for a uniform policy regarding the management, operation, and oversight of systems providing electronic access to public records or electronic information and services. History: Laws 1961, c. 455, § 1, p. 1385; Laws 1997, LB 590, § 3; Laws 2012, LB719, § 7; Laws 2012, LB880, § 1.