NCJ Number
17322
Date Published
1972
Length
15 pages
Annotation
TABULATED RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE APPLICATIONS, COSTS, AND OTHER INFORMATION PERTINENT TO ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING FOR LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES.
Abstract
OF THE 35 STATES WHICH RESPONDED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE, 29 WERE EMPLOYING SOME TYPE OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (EDP). THE MOST COMMON APPLICATION OF EDP WAS FOUND TO BE CENTRAL PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTING FOR THE LEGISLATURE, WITH 20 STATES UTILIZING THAT SERVICE; 19 STATES UTILIZED EDP FOR STATUTORY RETRIEVAL, AND A LIKE NUMBER EMPLOYED EDP FOR BILL STATUS OR HISTORIES; 15 STATES APPLIED EDP TO BILL STATUS IN COMMITTEE; AND IN DESCENDING ORDER OF USE, OTHER EDP FUNCTIONS WERE STATUS OF BILL BY AUTHOR (13), BILL DRAFTING (11), STATUTORY REVISION (8), ROLL CALL RETRIEVAL (5), PRINTING OF BILLS (5), PREPARATION OF DAILY CALENDAR (1), AND PREPARATION OF JOURNAL (1). THIS INFORMATION IS PRESENTED IN TABULAR FORM. THE APPROXIMATE COSTS OF EDP SERVICES AND THE ALLOCATION OF THOSE COSTS BETWEEN STATE AGENCIES OR HOUSES OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE ARE SHOWN IN A SECOND TABLE. COSTS WERE FOUND TO VARY TREMENDOUSLY BETWEEN STATES--FROM 4,000 DOLLARS PER YEAR IN ALASKA TO OVER 850,000 DOLLARS FOR THE 1969-71 BIENNIUM IN WASHINGTON. THE REASON FOR THIS DIFFERENTIAL WAS FOUND TO BE THAT STATES REQUIRE INDIVIDUALIZED EDP SYSTEMS, AND THOSE SYSTEMS RANGE FROM PAYROLL PROCESSING TO A HIGHLY COMPLEX SYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING SERVICES WHICH APPLY TO VIRTUALLY EVERY FACET OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. TWENTY-FOUR OF THE RESPONDING 35 STATES EMPLOYED A DATA RETRIEVAL FIRM FOR SUCH SERVICES AS BILL DRAFTING, STATUTORY RETRIEVAL, LEGISLATIVE PAYROLL, BILL STATUS, ETC. AGAIN, THE COSTS FOR THESE SERVICES WAS FOUND TO VARY GREATLY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE IN SERVICES UTILIZED BY THE INDIVIDUAL STATES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)