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Senate Information System

User Policy


As recommended by the Subcommittee on Senate Information Systems, March 25, 1997



  1. Users


    1. User Definitions and Responsibilities


      1. Authorized users are limited to members of the Senate, senate employees, and interns.


      2. Part-time session employees are not authorized users except as authorized by the Senate Information Systems ("SIS") Director.


      3. Authorized users will not be allocated a workstation until after completion of a basic network operations course, as well as training on e-mail.


      4. Senators and authorized staff will be given sufficient file space and processing capabilities on the Senate Network to carry out their legislative duties. Sufficiency of space will be determined according to guidelines issued by the SIS Director.


    2. Support and Training


      1. Support for Members' and Staff's Personal Computers. SIS staff will provide installation services, training, or other support during normal business hours, only for equipment and software belonging to the Senate.


      2. User Training. SIS will coordinate and provide microcomputer user training.


      3. Training Requirement for Receiving SIS Support. SIS staff need not provide technical assistance or software support to any member or employee who has not first completed the SIS recommended training course in the application or function or demonstrated competence through appropriate testing on the application or function for which assistance is being sought.


    3. Not for Commercial or Campaign Use. Computer equipment, computer programs, and data communication facilities connected to the Senate Network or any state computer are to be used for purposes of the Senate and the Legislature. They may not be used for any commercial purpose nor for any political campaign.


    4. Not for Communication of Offensive Material. Authorized users shall not intentionally use senate equipment to communicate to others material that is obscene, indecent, or patently offensive in the workplace.


    5. Suspension of Network Access


      1. The SIS Director may immediately revoke the user name and password of any user of the Senate Network or senate computer facilities who allows anyone who is not an authorized user to have direct access to any application or data on the Senate Network. The director will restore the user name and password only after the Chair of the Committee on Rules and Administration has been informed of the violation and has authorized the restoration of the account.


      2. The SIS Director may suspend network access for any authorized user who misuses the Senate Network.


  1. Electronic Mail


    1. Purpose. Electronic mail (e-mail) is one of the most used and useful facilities on computer networks. To ensure maximum benefits from e-mail, a clear, defined balance between the need for open communications and the protection of the Senate's assets is critical. The purpose of this e-mail policy is to encourage use of e-mail as an effective and efficient tool while outlining considerations for responsible use.


    2. Appropriate Use


      1. A senate employee may not use senate e-mail for personal purposes during hours the employee records as hours worked for the Senate.


      2. It is the nature of most e-mail systems that the security of messages cannot be guaranteed; therefore, we discourage the use of e-mail to transmit messages containing data that must be kept secure.


      1. Senators and staff should use good judgment in both the type of message created and in the tone and content of messages. E-mail messages must be able to withstand public scrutiny without embarrassment to the Senate, the Legislature, or their employees if messages are forwarded beyond the intended recipients, accessed or inadvertently disclosed, subpoenaed in a legal action, or otherwise made public. Senators and staff should use generally accepted standards of business conversation in their e-mail messages.


    1. Problems or issues related to senate e-mail should be directed to the Senate Information Systems Director.


  1. Appropriate Use of the Internet


    1. GUIDELINE 1: Allow and encourage use of the Internet to accomplish job responsibilities and further the Senate's mission.

    1. GUIDELINE 2: Allow and encourage use of the Internet for professional communication.


    2. GUIDELINE 3: Allow personal, noncommercial, noncampaign use of the Internet by senate staff on personal time.


    3. GUIDELINE 4: Distribute guidelines for responsible network use to all authorized users and encourage them to use their access to the Internet in a responsible and informed way. Users also have an obligation to be aware of computer security and privacy concerns, to guard against computer viruses, and to avoid communicating to others material that is obscene, indecent, or patently offensive in the workplace. Any downloading of executable files must be reviewed or checked before executing by SIS staff.


    4. GUIDELINE 5: Provide Internet service to all authorized users who are trained and competent in the use of the Internet and have access to a workstation that is used for their daily work.


    5. GUIDELINE 6: Require members and staff who wish access to Internet to complete senate in-service sessions to review senate Internet policy.

Appendix A of the Senate Information Systems Policy and Procedure Manual contains suggested guidelines and staff responsibilities for Internet use at the Senate.



  1. Senate Network Data Communication


    1. SIS will maintain a central asynchronous communication server for dial-out and dial-in access.


    2. Senate Network computer on-line data communication functions must be done in consultation with SIS. These communication functions must be accessed through the SIS centralized communications facility. Exceptions may be granted by the SIS Director when the central communications facility is not suitable.


    3. All computer telecommunications costs will be billed to the user's office operations account.


    4. Dial-Out Access to a Database. Microcomputer users requiring access to a database should consult with the SIS Director regarding needs. The SIS Director will review the user's needs and contact the database administrator, if required, for user access. If the database is that of another user, or part of a network of microcomputers, the SIS Director will resolve the problem. The Director makes arrangements for access and any security requirements to the database for the new user.


    5. Dial-In Access


      1. Dial-in access to the Senate Network will be made available to all members and staff who have been duly authorized. Authorization requires the approval of an employee's immediate supervisor in writing to the Director of Senate Information Systems. Authorized users will not be given access until they have completed a training program.


      2. Dial-in training will be provided to authorized users by the SIS Department. The SIS Department will also provide any necessary follow-up training or retraining due to application upgrades.


      3. Security for dial-in access will be through the use of dial-in and logon passwords and a dial-back connection to the user's workstation.


      4. Home computer hardware needed to dial in must be provided by the user at the user's own expense. Home equipment must meet SIS specifications.


      5. Home computer software must be provided by the user at the user's own expense, except that the Senate will provide the dial-in access software for all members and employees of the Senate.


      6. Dial-in access will provide the user with access to the user's e-mail and calendar, and to files in the user's directories on the Senate Network.


      7. Users are discouraged from attempting to use the Senate's word processing, spreadsheet, or database software over the dial-in access line, since these uses are slow when done over a telephone line and would tie up the Senate's few lines unnecessarily.


      8. Dial-in access to the Senate Network will not provide the user with access to the Internet.


      9. Support for dial-in access to the Senate Network by members and staff will be provided by the SIS Department during normal work hours, as defined by the Director of Human Resources.


  2. Copying to and from Home Computers


    1. Data on the Senate Network may be copied onto an authorized user's home computer.


    2. If copying data from the Senate Network is done by SIS personnel for non-senate purposes, the requester will be charged the actual copying cost.


    3. Senate software may not be copied onto an authorized user's home computer without the permission of the SIS Director. Normally, permission will be denied. This is to ensure that copyright senate software is used only for senate purposes.


    4. Data from an authorized user's home computer may be copied onto the Senate Network.


  3. Personal Hardware and Software. Hardware, software, and peripherals owned by an authorized user may not be integrated with the Senate's network or workstations without the permission of the SIS Director. This is to reduce problems of equipment and software failure, damage to data files, and the introduction of viruses. Members and staff are encouraged to consult with the SIS Director before purchasing personal hardware or software they propose to integrate with the Senate Network or workstations.


  1. Backup. The SIS department maintains network backup hardware and software.


    1. Network Backup Tapes


      1. Purpose. The primary purpose for backing up the Senate Network every night is disaster recovery--to enable SIS personnel to bring the network back up in the event of a system crash or a calamity such as a major power failure, fire, or flood. The programs that reside on the network could be reloaded from the original program diskettes, but the user files would have to be separately reconstructed. The backup tapes make it possible to recover those user files quickly in the event of a disaster. A secondary use of the backup tapes is to recover files that system users have inadvertently deleted. But that secondary use must not be allowed to interfere with the tapes' primary purpose or to prevent the backup tapes from being recycled on a reasonable schedule. The network backup tapes were never intended to be used as an archive for old files and should not be viewed as a substitute for archives.


      2. Schedule. Network backup tapes will be recycled every three months. Recycling will be accomplished by reformatting the tapes. Users will be informed of the backup schedule and alerted that any old files on the tapes will no longer be recoverable after the recycling date. Users will also be warned not to use the backup tapes as their file archive and to develop the separate archive files they find necessary.


    1. Electronic Mail Backup. Electronic mail is intended as a medium for fast communication, not a medium for storage of valuable files. Electronic mail on the Senate Network will not be included in the nightly backup of the network. Users will be warned not to use their electronic mailboxes to store valuable messages. Rather, messages they want stored should be moved or copied into a separate directory, where they will be backed up nightly.


  1. Archives


    1. Word Processing Archive Diskettes


      1. Senator's Diskettes. In addition to keeping paper copies, Senate Word Processing maintains an archive diskette for each senator for whom they do work. At the end of each biennium, or when the senator leaves the Senate, whichever occurs first, the senator will be notified that the diskette, or diskettes, will be recycled after a certain date and that any files they might want to retrieve from it must be retrieved before then. Retrieval will be accomplished by the senator buying the diskette. Recycling of diskettes will be accomplished by reformatting them. Once a diskette is reformatted, it will no longer be possible to recover any old files from it.


      2. Staff Diskettes. Senate Word Processing maintains archive diskettes for each senate employee for whom they do work. These diskettes will be recycled at the end of each biennium or when the employee leaves the Senate, whichever occurs first, using the same procedure as for senators.


      1. Constituent Mailings. A paper copy of the primary file for constituent letters that are sent to a mailing list will be kept for one year after the letter was sent and then will be recycled.


    1. Other Archives. Other archive files may be stored by the user on diskettes.


  1. Loan of Hardware


    1. A member or employee requesting a loan of computer hardware from SIS must send a request to the SIS Director stating:


      1. Equipment requested.


      2. Reason for the loan.


      3. Where the equipment will be used.


      4. Expected length of time of the loan, normally not to exceed three working days.


    2. All loans are logged on an "out card," which contains the date, time, equipment loaned, to whom, and why. (In the event of an emergency, equipment loans need not require a requesting memo. A written request follows an emergency loan so that an audit trail may be maintained.)


    3. Loss of or damage to loaned equipment due to negligence of the borrower is the responsibility of the borrower.


  2. Purchasing Procedure. Purchase requisitions for microcomputer software, hardware, and service or consulting contracts are forwarded to the SIS department. The SIS Director approves purchase requisitions. Purchase requisitions are for approved budget expenditures.


  3. Software Acquisition


    1. Microcomputer software is available in the form of purchased software or in-house developed software. Purchased software may have a workstation license or a site license. Most site licenses are purchased by a one-time fee per user, while some are purchased by paying an annual fee per user. Upgrades are available for either workstation licenses or site licenses.


    1. SIS controls both workstation-licensed software and site-licensed software. The cost of software is paid by SIS. Purchased software not on the list of approved software may not be supported by SIS.


    2. Approved Software List


      1. The SIS Director furnishes a listing of approved software to all senate users or future users of software. The list is divided into three parts:


        1. Workstation-licensed software available.


        2. Site-licensed software available.


        3. In-house software available.


      2. Workstation-Licensed Software. Requests to purchase workstation-licensed software are forwarded to the SIS Director as a purchase requisition. The purchase requisition is checked against the list of approved software and if the software is listed, the requisition is signed, dated, and forwarded to the purchasing department. If not listed, the user requesting the purchase is contacted to justify the need.


      3. Site-Licensed Software. If the Senate has already purchased a site license for the software, the user sends a memo requesting use of the software. The SIS Director reviews the request and follows up with required action to pay the appropriate site-license fee.


      4. New In-house Software. When software a user requests is not available for purchase, the SIS Director works with the user to define the needs. The SIS Director submits a memo to the personnel responsible for microcomputer programming systems and provides enough information, so a project proposal can be completed and sent to the SIS Director. Project proposal information is reviewed with the user requesting the program. If time and money are available, the programming is done by SIS personnel or by contract with a vendor.


    3. Software Library


      1. All in-house developed microcomputer programs, site-licensed software, and back-up copies of workstation software are maintained in a software library. Users with one-of-a-kind software must have backup copies housed in this library.


      1. The software library may provide an opportunity for potential users to try software before obtaining copies. The library also contains proper documentation and user instructions so that software can be tested. The SIS Director or SIS staff may be called on to demonstrate software to potential users.


  1. Hardware Acquisition


    1. Standards. The SIS Director sets the standards for microcomputer hardware acquisitions for the Senate. This covers:


      1. The lease, purchase, or rental of microcomputer equipment.


      2. The brand of computers acquired.


      3. The brand of peripheral equipment acquired.


      4. Maintenance contracts.


    2. Hardware Acquisition Procedure. Departments with approved budget expenditures for hardware complete a purchase requisition and forward it to the SIS Director who checks the capital expense budget listing and confirms that the purchase is actually as approved. If it is not, the purchase requisition is returned with a memo explaining the problem. If the purchase requisition is in order, the SIS Director dates and signs the purchase requisition and forwards it to the purchasing department.


    3. Future Hardware Acquisition


      1. The SIS Director serves as an information source for future hardware acquisitions. The SIS Director maintains a list of "approved" hardware.


      2. The approved hardware list identifies sanctioned hardware purchases. If the desired hardware is listed, the user must show that money has been budgeted to acquire the equipment. If budgeted money is available, the user sends a purchase requisition to the SIS Director for processing.


      3. If the desired hardware is not on the approved hardware list, the SIS Director is contacted and the needs discussed. If an alternate piece of approved hardware is not acceptable to the user, a memo containing the following information is sent to the SIS Director.


        1. Unit's name and vendor's name and address.


        2. Cost of the unit.


        3. Quantity required.


        4. Reason special unit is required.


        5. What happens if unit is not approved.


        6. Personnel responsible for unit's maintenance.


        7. Personnel responsible for training and operation support.


      1. The SIS Director reviews the memo in light of information provided by the user. If the equipment acquisition is not approved, the user may appeal to the SIS Staff Advisory Committee. The decision of the director, after receiving the advice of the Committee, is final.


  1. Communications Acquisition


    1. Communications hardware and software may be acquired at the time a microcomputer is acquired or later. These may require either hard wiring or MODEMS. LAN networks are hard wire, fiber optic, or radio wave. They may require separate power supply lines.


    2. MODEM acquisitions are fairly simple. The user needs the "approved" MODEM with the required transmission rate and instructions on the proper use of the equipment. The hardware and software are installed by the SIS staff.


    3. Communications acquisitions require approval of the SIS Director. The person responsible for communications may install the communications hookup. The user is provided with the required instructions for on-line communications by SIS.



Senate Web Page Development and Maintenance

Member, Committee, and Department Pages

As recommended by the Subcommittee on Senate Information Systems, March 4, 1997



Development. Development of official senate World Wide Web pages will be done under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate and with the assistance of the Senate Information Systems Department and the Internet Services Specialist. All Web pages will be developed according to policies adopted by the Subcommittee on Senate Information Systems of the Committee on Rules and Administration.


General Guidelines. All official senate Web pages will maintain a similar structure and appearance, following the basic design set for the Official Legislative Web Page, to promote the design of clear, concise, and functional Web pages for use on the Legislature's Web site. Use of these guidelines will also promote a consistent "look and feel" across the site.

Design of senate Web pages will be in accordance with the Web Page Design Guidelines for the Minnesota Legislature as adopted by the Legislative Network Staff Group ("LNet").

Assistance in generating HTML Web-ready documents will be provided through the Internet Services Specialist. Training will be available through the SIS Training Coordinator for all committee and department staff before being given access to maintain their Web page.

No direct links will be provided from official senate Web pages to nonlegislative sites. No links may be made from official pages to campaign pages. Links may be made from official senate pages to other legislative sites.

Data will reside on the senate's Web server.

The use of official senate Web pages for personal, commercial, or campaign purposes is prohibited.

These Guidelines will be reviewed annually by the Subcommittee on Senate Information Systems.


Content. Web content has generally been guided by the principle that materials that are in print are appropriate for inclusion in electronic media. This includes any material in the Official Directory of the Minnesota Legislature, products of the Publications and Media Services Departments, and materials distributed to the general public through the Senate Information Office.



Senators

Basic: Each senator will have a page on the Official Senate World Wide Web site. Basic member pages will consist of printed information identical to the entry in the Official Directory of the Minnesota Legislature (red book).


Optional: Senators will have the option of including the following information on their page:

  • Photo, as printed in the Official Directory.
  • E-Mail address, with a hypertext link allowing Web users to click on the address and automatically send a message to the senator.
  • Expanded biography, containing more detailed information than the Official Directory entry, subject to space limitations.
  • Honors received by the senator.
  • Legislative committees and commissions on which the senator serves, including a hypertext link to committee and commission information located on the Official Legislative Web site.
  • Bills of which the senator is chief or co-author with a hypertext link to the bill status data of that bill located on the Official Legislative Web site.
  • Issues of interest to the senator.
  • District information, including a map of the district, district demographics, and points of interest.

Committees


Basic:

  • Committee Home Page
  • Committee Schedules
  • Committee Bill Referrals and Actions
  • Committee E-Mail Link

Optional:

  • Reviews of Committee Action
  • Bill Summaries
  • Links to relevant (legislative) sites, including Legislative Reference Library Links to the World

Departments

As determined by each department.

Maintenance

Senators. Gathering of member home page information will be the responsibility of Senate Publications. Each member will be provided a check list that includes all agreed-upon basic and optional information for the official Web page. Each member will complete and return the check list to Senate Publications. Data will be generated into Web-ready format and placed onto the Web site by Senate Publications. Updates of member pages will be made through Senate Publications, upon written request of the senator.

Committees and Departments. Information residing on committee and department sites will be gathered by committee or department staff. It will be generated into Web-ready format by committee or department staff and placed into the appropriate Web server directories under the direction of the Internet Services Specialist. Updates of committee and department Web pages will be by the affected committee or department, starting in the 1998 session.

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