This bill mandates that local units of government, including counties, municipalities, and school districts, provide access to their budgets in a user-friendly format. Specifically, it requires that the budget and a plain language summary be accessible through a prominently displayed link on the home page of their respective Internet sites, if such sites exist. The Commissioner of Education is tasked with developing a "user-friendly" format for school districts, while the Local Finance Board will create similar summary forms for other local government units.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to replace the requirement for public inspection of budget documents with the stipulation that they must be made available online in an easily understandable format. It also ensures that budgets from the previous three years are accessible in the same manner. The intent of these changes is to enhance transparency and public understanding of local government fiscal matters. The act is set to take effect 90 days after its enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7F-5.3, 40A:5-48