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Technology in State Legislatures
Last update: February 28, 2012
Technology is an integral, if not always highly visible, part of the legislative process in all states today. Legislatures are using technology to increase the efficiency of the legislature and to increase citizen access to the process and their elected officials. Every state legislature has a Web site with access to bill text, statutes, committee information and many other types of information and services for citizens. Technology is being used in legislative chambers and offices to eliminate redundant procedures and to make routine and repetive tasks easier. Technology in the chambers allow legislators to view bills, amendments and other information while also reducing the amount of paper used.
The following resources provide information about how technology is being used in state legislatures. Additional information is available here and on the NCSL National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT) website. NALIT provides legislative IT professionals and others interested in technology and computer services with opportunities for training, professional growth and information sharing.
Using Technology to Communicate with Citizens
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NCSL Resources
The Private Life of E-Mail, State Legislatures, May 2010. NCSL - The digital age has complicated the definition of what's a public document.
What You Need to Know About Social Networking, State Legislatures, July/August 2009. NCSL.
State of Blogging, State Legislatures, May 2008. Lawmakers are creating blogs to get their constituents involved.
Tools of the Trade: How to Bring Blogging to Life, State Legislatures, October/November 2007. By writing a blog, legislators can keep constituents informed in a new way.
Electronic Legislatures: The Paperless Committee, LegisBrief, October 2006. NCSL
I Blog, You Blog, We All Blog, State Legislatures, March 2005. NCSL - State lawmakers are beginning to see the advantages of having a blog to record their views on issues and their experiences at the statehouse.
Selected External Full-text Resources
Silencing the Blogosphere: A First Amendment Caution to Legislators Considering Using Blogs to Communicate Directly with Constituents, D. West Sullenger, 13 Rich. J.L. & Tech. 15 (2007).
Examines the First Amendment implications of blogs for legislators, specifically, whether legislators may screen messages, alter content or remove certain messages that may be considered by some to be offensive.
State Legislators' Perceptions of the Use of E-mail in Constituent Communication, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Vol 8, issue 4, July 2003.
Measures and compares the attitudes and perceptions of state legislators toward e-mail.
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Legislative Web Sites
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NCSL Resources
Legislative Mobile Apps and Websites - State legislatures or legislative chambers in at least 17 states have optimized their websites for mobile devices. Several states have developed downloadable public mobile apps.
Legislative Social Media Sites, NCSL - Provides links to legislative offices that are using social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Legislative Social Networking Policies, NCSL - Provides examples of linking and participation policies and disclaimers for blogs and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Legislative Technology and Internet Policies, NCSL - Provides examples of legislatures' policies governing the acceptable use of the Internet, e-mail, legislative websites, state equipment and privacy policies. Steal These Ideas, State Legislatures, June 2010. NCSL - 25 legislative website innovations that may surprise you.
25 Great Online Ideas Worth Stealing, State Legislatures, July/August 2007. NCSL - States are using the Internet in creative, innovative ways from which other states can and should benefit.
NCSL Online Democracy Award, NCSL's Online Democracy Award is given each year to a legislature, legislative chamber or caucus whose website stands out for making democracy user-friendly.
Sites of Legislative IT Offices, NCSL - Provides links to Web sites of legislative information technology offices.
Selected External Resources
Best of the Web Awards, Center for Digital Government, 2010
Best of state government websites in various categories. The 2010 awards included an award to the Tennessee General Assembly website in the “Government-to-citizen State government category.”
The Best Legislative Websites, Congress.org, December 2009
Congress.org rates the best and the worst states, based on the amount of information available and ease of navigation.
2003 Digital Legislatures Survey: Best of Breed Report: Top Performing Legislative Information Technology Programs, Center for Digital Government
Survey of state legislatures on how the legislative branch uses technology to manage its own work and to give real-time access to their deliberations to a watching public. In-depth profiles of programs and applications, management style, collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships in five states.
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Legislative Broadcasts and Webcasts
Technology Used in Legislatures
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NCSL Resources
State Statutes Go Mobile
Every state now has its statutes online for free to the public. They come in many different formats, some searchable, some not. Many are provided by the state legislatures, while a few are provided by the publisher of the printed statute books.
State Bill Tracking and Update Services
Every state offers free public access to bill status and/or bill text via the Internet. However, a number of states offer additional bill tracking features on legislative websites.
Going Paperless, State Legislatures, March 2007.
NCSL State Legislatures article: There may never be a completely electronic legislature, but some are getting close.
A Paperless Legislator, March 2007 (Web Extra).
An interview with Missouri Representative Rob Schaaf, who scans business cards, meeting notices and letters into his computer so he can not only search them, but get to them from anywhere.
Electronic Legislatures: The Paperless Committee, LegisBrief, October 2006. NCSL
Digital Preservation Resources
States and state legislatures face critical challenges in preserving digital information and official records. This site offers links to information to raise awareness and provide tools and resources that will help legislatures with efforts to preserve significant government information.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Reports and presentations from the National Association of Legislative Information Technology (NALIT).
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NCSL provides links to other websites for information purposes only. Providing these links does not necessarily indicate NCSL's support or endorsement of the site.
Pam Greenberg, NCSL Denver office, pam.greenberg@ncsl.org |
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Issues & Resources
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