An Act To Clarify the InforME Public Information Access Act
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1561
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: DAGGETT
Amends: 1 MRSA §532, 1 MRSA §533, 1 MRSA §534, 1 MRSA §535

Legislative Document 
No. 1561 
S.P.524 
In Senate, April 14, 2003 
An Act To Clarify the InforME Public Information Access Act 
Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by President DAGGETT of Kennebec. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §532, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. 
Electronic 
services. 
"Electronic 
services" 
means 
services 
provided 
by 
InforME 
through 
electronic 
means. 
"Electronic 
services" 
may 
include, 
but 
is 
not 
limited 
to, 
providing access to information, processing credential renewals, 
completing forms and filing documents. 
Sec. 2. 1 MRSA §532, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 713, 
§1, is amended to read: 
6. 
Subscriber. 
"Subscriber" 
means 
a 
person 
who, 
in 
exchange for a fee established under section 534, subsection 5, 
paragraph 
G, 
receives 
premium 
services 
or 
other 
electronic 
services available for a statutory fee or at no charge. 
Sec. 3. 1 MRSA §533, sub-§ 1, as enac ted by PL 1997, c. 713 , 
§1, is amended to read: 
1. 
Electronic gateway. 
To serve as a self-supporting and 
cost-effective electronic gateway to provide and enhance access 
to the State's public information for individuals, businesses and 
other entities and to provide electronic services; 
Sec. 4. 1 MRSA §533, sub-§§8 and 9, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 
713, §1, are amended to read: 
8. 
Private-public 
partnerships 
and 
cooperation. 
To 
promote 
opportunities 
for 
partnerships and interagency cooperation; aBe 
interagency 
private-public 
9. 
Innovative 
uses 
of 
information. 
To 
provide 
opportunities for innovative uses of public informationTl and 
Sec. 5. 1 MRSA §533, sub-§IO is enacted to read: 
10. 
Collection of funds. 
To collect funds for information 
and 
electronic 
services 
provided 
and 
transactions 
conducted 
electronically. 
Sec. 6. 1 MRSA §534, sub-§5, ,G, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 
713, §1, is amended to read: 
G. 
Review 
revenue 
and expenditures 
and 
approve 
premium 
services fees and fee schedules to be levied by the network 
manager. 
(1) 
Fees 
must 
be sufficient to maintain, 
develop, 
operate and expand InforME on a continuing basis. 
(2) 
Fees for premium services must be reasonable but 
sufficient to support the maximum amount of information 
and services provided at no charge. 
(3) 
The board may establish fee schedules that include 
no 
cha~ge for 
designated services for 
one or more 
specified classes of users. 
If services are to be 
provided at no charge to libraries, the services must 
be 
provided 
to 
libraries 
designated 
as 
depository 
libraries 
for 
government 
documents 
pursuant 
to 
United 
States 
Code, 
Chapter 
and 
to 
any 
other 
libraries the board designates. 
(4) 
Fees must be sufficient to ensure that, to the 
extent possible, data custodians do not suffer loss of 
revenues from sources that are approved or authorized 
by law due to the operations of InforME. 
(5) 
Fees 
must 
be 
sufficient 
custodians 
are 
reimbursed 
for 
providing data to InforME. 
to 
the 
ensure 
actual 
that data 
costs 
of 
(6) 
Fees must be sufficient to meet the expenses of 
the boardt-'-. 
(7) 
The board may approve, when applicable, service 
level 
agreements 
entered into 
by 
InforME 
and 
data 
custodians 
for 
information, 
electronic services 
and 
transactions provided by InforME. 
( 8) 
The board may establish a subscription fee for 
subscribers: 
Sec. 7. 1 MRS A §534, sub-§5, '1fK and L, as enacted by PL 1997, 
c. 713, §l, are amended to read: 
K. 
Adopt 
rules 
Procedure Act to 
Title 5, section 
to this paragraph 
pursuant 
to 
the 
Maine 
Administrative 
carry out this chapter. 
Notwithstanding 
8071, subsection 2, rules adopted pursuant 
are routine technical rules: ana 
L. 
Report annually beginning Januar:.' 1, 1999 to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over state government matters. 
The report must include a 
complete 
list of 
services 
offered 
through 
the 
InforME 
system, the fees associated with services and the criteria 
used to determine which services are offered as 
premium 
services. 
In its January 1, 1999 
also include an analysis of the 
premium services at no charge to 
other libraries in the StateT; and 
report, the board must 
feasibility of offering 
depository libraries or 
Sec.8. 1 MRSA §534, sub-§5, 1fM is enacted to read: 
M. 
Authorize the 
network manager 
to collect funds 
for 
information 
and 
electronic 
services 
provided 
and 
transactions conducted electronically. 
Sec. 9. 1 MRSA §535, sub-§2, '111 and J, as enacted by PL 1997, 
c. 713, §1, are amended to read: 
I. 
Seek 
advice 
from 
the 
general 
public, 
subscribers, 
professional associations, academic groups and institutions 
and individuals with knowledge of and interest in areas of 
networking, 
electronic 
mail, 
public 
information 
access, 
gateway services, add-on services and electronic filing of 
information; aBEl 
J. 
Ensure that confidential information is not disclosed by 
the network manager without the express authorization of the 
data custodianT~ 
Sec. 10. 1 MRSA §535, sub-§2, 1fI( is enacted to read: 
K. 
Collect funds for electronic services and information 
provided and distribute funds collected to the appropriate 
data custodians or agencies; 
SUMMARY 
This 
bill 
clarifies 
various 
definitions 
to 
accurately 
represent the electronic services provided by InforME and the 
services available to those who pay the subscriber fee. 
This 
bill also clarifies the manner in which funds are collected and 
distributed by InforME to data custodians or agencies.