WHEREAS, in 2013, the General Assembly began implementing a new method of drafting legislation to show proposed changes to Delaware law by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline to better provide context for the changes made by the legislation; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, the General Assembly adopted the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act, to allow the electronic versions of Delaware laws published by the General Assembly, including the Constitution, the Laws of Delaware, the Delaware Code, and the Delaware Administrative Code, to be designated as the official versions; and
WHEREAS, in 2015 and beyond, the General Assembly launched its current website and has worked to make legislation and Delaware laws published by the General Assembly widely available and easily accessible in electronic formats; and
WHEREAS, state legislatures in other states are beginning to include hyperlinks in legislation and in their laws to provide further context to those reviewing their legislation and their laws; and
WHEREAS, including hyperlinks to Delaware laws cross-referenced in legislation and in Delaware laws would provide legislators and the public with greater context to the changes made in legislation and a better understanding of existing Delaware laws.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 152nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Director of the Division of Research and the Director of the Legislative Information Systems Team of the Office of the Controller General are to investigate the cost of, impact of, and methods and timeframe for, implementing a requirement to include hyperlinks to laws cross-referenced in legislation and Delaware laws published by the General Assembly, including the Constitution, the Laws of Delaware, the Delaware Code, and the Delaware Administrative Code.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of the Division of Research and the Director of the Legislative Information Systems Team of the Office of the Controller General are to submit a written report of their findings and recommendations no later than March 1, 2024, to all of the following:
(1) The President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the Senate, for distribution to all Senators.
(2) The Speaker and Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, for distribution to all Representatives.
(3) The Librarian of the Division of Research.
(4) The Controller General.
SYNOPSIS
This Concurrent Resolution does all of the following:
(1) Directs the Director of the Division of Research and the Director of the Legislative Information Systems Team of the Office of the Controller General to investigate the cost of, impact of, and methods and timeframe for implementing a requirement to include hyperlinks to laws cross-referenced in legislation and Delaware laws published by the General Assembly.
(2) Requires the Director of the Division of Research and the Director of the Legislative Information Systems Team of the Office of the Controller General to submit a written report of their findings and recommendations no later than March 1, 2024.
