All Public Data should be online - now!
Yesterday, Representative Steve Israel introduced the Public Online Information Act, which if enacted would make vast amounts of government information available online. All too often, information that the law requires be publicly available is hidden within the walls of government departments and agencies and in paper silos.
POIA seeks to tear down these walls by:
- Requiring Executive Branch agencies to publish publicly available information on the Internet in a timely fashion and in user-friendly formats.
- Creating a multi-branch advisory committee to develop government-wide Internet publication guidelines.
The legislation requires:
Executive Branch agencies to publish all publicly available information on the Internet in a timely fashion and in user-friendly formats. It also creates an advisory committee to help develop government-wide Internet publication policies. Freeing government information from its paper silos provides the private sector with raw material to develop new products and services and gives the public what they need to participate in government as active and informed citizens. Establishing an advisory committee that brings all three branches of government and the private sector together to develop government-wide information best practices will improve how the government serves the American people.
It has far reaching reaching effects including:
- POIA empowers government oversight and accountability by citizens, media, and government officials alike.
- POIA promotes intra-governmental coordination by bringing key players together to develop common standards for information transmission, streamline government data collection practices, and increase the sharing of information vital to our citizens.
- POIA contributes to economic growth by helping small and large business innovate, create jobs, and compete globally.
The POIA requires the Executive Branch to follow commonsense rules in making public information available online, and encourages all three branches to work together with the public to develop online disclosure best practices.
Rep. Steve Israel:
This bill will make government more transparent, accessible and efficient.
For more see:
- PublicEqualsOnline
- Making Public Information Available Online: Rep. Israel Introduces the Public Online Information Act
- ThePOIA.org
- The Public Online Information Act
- Follow the conversation on twitter at #thePOIA
(via SunlightFoundation)
