Substitute Senate Bill No. 256 introduces changes to the data governance policies of state agencies in Connecticut, effective October 1, 2024. The bill amends section 4-67n(b) of the general statutes, empowering the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to develop a program for accessing and sharing data maintained by executive agencies, and to form advisory boards for data governance. It updates the definition of "Executive branch agency" to include any state agency as defined in section 4d-1, no longer excluding the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The bill also revises section 4-67z, removing the Chief Data Officer's obligation to review legal barriers to data sharing and to submit annual reports on the subject. It specifies that requests for data should be directed to the originating agency, and if received by a non-originating agency, the request must be referred to the originator. The bill's provisions do not apply to data covered by subsection (b) of section 54-142r of the general statutes, and it includes insertions and deletions to update the legal language accordingly.

Furthermore, sSB256 File No. 385 expands the scope of state data management and open data access requirements to include a wider array of state agencies, which are now required to appoint an agency data officer, align with the state data plan, inventory high-value data annually, and create an open data access plan. These agencies must also undergo a review by the Chief Data Officer to identify legal barriers to data sharing. The bill clarifies the process for handling data requests, ensuring they are referred to the originating agency, and does not compel the disclosure of data that would not otherwise be required. The bill passed the Government Administration and Elections Committee with a vote of 13 Yea to 6 Nay on March 22, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 4-67z
GAE Joint Favorable: 4-67z
File No. 385: 4-67z