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for Technology in Government
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Policy Links
The
United States Privacy Act of 1974
The Privacy Act of 1974 can "generally be characterized as an omnibus
code of fair information practices which attempts to regulate the collection,
maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal information by federal
government agencies. This biennial overview of the US Privacy Act is a
discussion of the Act's disclosure provisions, its access and amendment
provisions, and the agency record keeping requirements."
Personal
Privacy Protection Law
This document lists pertinent questions that citizens may ask about access
to their personal information as it relates to New York State agencies.
Answers to questions such as, "Is there a central source or one state
agency that keeps all the information about me?" are detailed in
this document from the Committee on Open Government.
Technology
Policy 97-4 Use of a Social Security Number
This document, from the NYS Office for Technology, discusses the policies
developed to protect privacy as it relates to an identifier most often
used in government and in business-your social security number (SSN).
You will learn the history of the SSN and how it relates to the Privacy
Act, the Tax Reform Act, the Omnibus Act, the Social Security Act, and
the Welfare Reform Act within NYS. Most importantly, this document explains
NYS government agency responsibilities when using social security numbers
as part of their data.
Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
This Act, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, "was created to
improve portability and continuity of health insurance, to combat waste,
fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote
the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care
services and coverage, and to simplify the administration of health insurance,
and for other purposes."
Center
for Technology in Government (CTG) privacy notice
CTG's Web site privacy notice provides information about the use of user's
personal information collected on this site.
Free Application
for Federal Student Aid
This Web site, developed by the US Department of Education, allows students
to fill out an online form for federal student aid. The site includes
a Privacy Act and Security Information that describes the security features
of the site, the risks of filling out an online form and the technologies
used to ensure privacy.
Meta
Data Standards and Registries: An Overview
This paper (in PDF format), generated by the US Environmental Protection
Agency and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, discusses the work that
is being done to reach consensus on standardizing meta data and registries
for organizing that meta data. It provides information about meta data
and also goes in-depth on the impact a meta data registry can have on
a statistical agency.
Dr.
Tom’s Meta-Data Primer
This paper, written by Dr. Thomas Wason, provides a basic understanding
of meta data, how it is structured, what it means, and how it is represented.
It also describes when there is sufficient meta data, and how meta data
is scaleable and interoperable with other systems.
New
York State GIS Data Sharing Cooperative
The NYS GIS Data Sharing Cooperative was created to encourage public agencies
in NYS "to share in the creation, use, and maintenance of GIS data sets
at the least possible cost." This site provides information on the policies
that govern the cooperative and data sharing in general.
National
Archives and Records Administration — Electronic Records Management
Regulation
This NARA regulation "establishes the basic requirements related to the
creation, maintenance, use, and disposition of electronic records. Electronic
records include numeric, graphic, and text information, which may be recorded
on any medium capable of being read by a computer and which satisfies
the definition of a record."
New
York State Records Retention and Disposition Schedules for State Agencies
and Local Governments
The General Schedule provides authorizations for state and local agencies
within NYS to dispose of common administrative records following a minimum
retention period. The schedule covers records series found in administrative
activities ranging from affirmative action programs, to fiscal, personnel,
and training programs. It covers records in all media, including paper,
electronic, and microforms.
Technology
Policy 97-1 Information Security Policy
This document, established by the NYS Office for Technology, discusses
the "minimum security policies required by New York State to protect assets-information,
computers, and networks in state agencies." Information custodianship
and security are clearly defined. Information about copyright, records
retention, privacy and confidentiality laws, classification of information,
and information security functions are detailed.
EarthLink Acceptable Use Policy
An example of Acceptable Use Policy that delineates the acceptable uses of the EarthLink network.
The
US Office of Management and Budget's Management of Federal Government
Information Resources Policy
This report established a "uniform, government-wide information resources
management (IRM) policy." The policy covers all facets of IRM-strategic
planning, information collection and dissemination, records management,
and IT acquisition. And they are applied to electronic and printed documents.
The policy encompasses all information activities of Federal executive
branch agencies. You may be able to apply various sections or principles
to your agency's IRM strategy.
The
Treasury Board of Canada's Blueprint for Renewing Government Services
This document presents an integrated approach to using information technology
to renew government services on an enterprise-wide basis in Canada. The
plan sets forth a vision to create government services that are affordable,
accessible and responsive. It describes some goals including direct services
to clients, standardized and interactive tools, and shared solutions and
information. The descriptions of these goals can be useful to agencies
that are redesigning services for the Web.
The
NYS Office for Technology's "Managing New York State’s Technology:
The Strategy for the Future"
This plan sets forth a strategy for using technology to improve the business
of government in New York State. The document covers several goals: statewide
policy and direction, statewide projects, data partnering, coordinated
technology purchasing, and statewide network. The policy area covers such
timely issues as standards, use of the Internet, and electronic data interchange.
Government agencies in New York should be well-versed in these topics,
since the direction the Office establishes will affect everyone.
New
York State's Governor Pataki’s E-Government Initiative
At the e-Commerce Kick-off meeting, Governor George E. Pataki signed the
first electronic proclamation using a digital signature, declaring June
12, 2000 the official commencement of his e-Commerce Initiative in the
creation of a digital "government without walls" in the Empire State.
Read many articles and polices related to NYS's E-Government Initiative.
The State
of Texas: Electronic Government Strategic Plan
This plan, "should assist state agency and local government planning efforts in achieving
a more Internet enabled and customer-centric delivery of services with technology."
"The vision, goals, and objectives outlined in this plan are designed to improve the coordination,
planning, and implementation of electronic government services in Texas."
US
Freedom of Information Act
Enacted in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) "generally provides
that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to
federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions
of them) are protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by
one of three special law enforcement record exclusions."
Electronic
Freedom of Information Act
All amendments to the statute made by the "Electronic Freedom of Information
Act Amendments of 1996" are listed in this document. It includes all the
information listed in the FOIA but includes electronic records. Updates
to the Act are made in bold typeface.
Freedom
of Information Law
This policy, developed by the NYS Department of State, discusses the societal
need for an open government where the public is aware of governmental
actions. It details policies for New York State agencies to follow to
be in accordance with this law. It profiles agency requirements regarding
records retention, dissemination, and accessibility.
Committee
on Open Government
The New York State Committee on Open Government is "responsible for
overseeing and advising with regard to the Freedom of Information, Open
Meetings and Personal Privacy Protection Laws. The Committee and the laws
it oversees have gained national and international recognition as models
for other jurisdictions."
Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EEF)
EFF is a non-profit, non-partisan organization "working in the public
interest to protect fundamental civil liberties, including privacy and
freedom of expression in the arena of computers and the Internet."
New York
State Government Information Locator Service (NYS GILS)
"The NYS GILS provides a single point of access to information services
provided by New York State Government agencies, the State Legislature
and the Judiciary." The New York State Library hosts the GILS site.
Global Information
Locator Service
The Global Information Locator Service (GILS) adopts a mature international
standard for searching labeled information. This standard developed primarily
in the library and information services communities. Today, it is in worldwide
use on the Internet and other networks, making GILS interoperable with
the largest and most valuable information resources available anywhere.
NYS
Office for Technology's Technology Policy 96-19 Data Sharing Among Agencies
This document describes steps that NYS agencies should follow when considering
sharing data electronically. In addition, this policy helps ensure a standard
process of data sharing among NYS agencies. Each step describes a key
component in data sharing and includes questions that can help an agency
prepare and complete that step. Also included is a sample case study that
describes one agency's initiative through each step.
NYS
Office for Technology's Technology Policy 97-6 Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) Data Sharing
This policy discusses how electronic geographic data can be shared among
federal, state, and local agencies. It reviews provisions that have been
made to ensure that GIS data is shared in an appropriate and consistent
manner. Custodianship, standards, maintenance, pricing, requests, and
submissions are outlined.
Government Information Sharing: Calls to Action
In March 2005, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers issued this report as a follow-up to their 2000 report "Toward National Sharing of Government
Information." This report takes a different approach in that it covers a variety of lines
of business and levels of government. The intention here is to look at the current state of information sharing, identify and discuss the major issues and outline the "calls to action"
required to move forward.
Federal
Digital Signature Guideline: Tutorial
Brief tutorial of the American Bar Association regarding the nature and purposes of digital signatures.
Federal
Digital Signature Legislation
This article offers guidance on implementation of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign) law that grants electronic signatures and documents equivalent legal status with traditional handwritten signatures and was written in order to unify e-signature standards across all levels of government.
New
York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act
The New York State Legislature passed the Electronic Signatures and Records
Act (ESRA) on August 4, 1999. This legislation, which was signed by the
Governor on September 28, 1999, establishes a new body of State law for
technology. "It also provides a mechanism for state and local government
agencies to develop government electronic commerce and other information
technology-based systems that rely on electronic signatures and electronic
documents, and gives these mechanisms the same force in law as paper-based
signatures and records. This law provides that "signatures" made via electronic
means will be legally binding just as hand-written signatures now are.
The law also enhances and clarifies the authority of government to create
and retain records in computer produced electronic form."
CTG
Seminar Summary Report - What Rules Govern the Use of Information?
This seminar summary report details the third seminar in the Using Information
in Government Program Seminar Series at the Center for Technology in Government.
It summarizes the seminar's presentations and panel discussion, which
"focused on the comprehensive policies that public sector agencies use
to govern how, why, when, and by whom information is used." Presenters
addressed such issues as ownership, stewardship, liability, privacy, and
confidentiality as they relate to internal, cross agency, and public use
of information. The summary report details principles of information use
along with examples from projects in two state agencies.
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© 2000
Center for Technology in Government,
University at Albany,SUNY, 1535 Western
Avenue Albany, NY 12203
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Last updated: March 25, 2003