Bill > AB1215

This bill, titled the California Open Data Act, aims to enhance government transparency by establishing a statewide standard for making public data accessible online. It creates the position of a Chief Data Officer, appointed by the Governor, who will report to the Secretary of Government Operations and be responsible for developing the California Open Data Standard. This standard will dictate how state agencies, and optionally local governments, must make public data—defined as data collected by a state agency that is otherwise subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act—available on a central internet web portal, data.ca.gov. The bill mandates that this data be updated regularly, accessible without registration or licensing, and electronically searchable. It also requires state agencies to submit strategic plans outlining how they will comply with the open data standard and to post these plans, along with legal policies for data usage, on the portal. A Data Working Group, composed of agency representatives and open data experts, will be formed to assist the Chief Data Officer. The act emphasizes that while the state will strive for accuracy, it will not be liable for any deficiencies in the provided public data, and all public data will be in the public domain for copyright purposes.