CHAPTER 54-44.6 FORMS MANAGEMENT 54-44.6-01. Declaration of legislative intent

The legislative assembly finds and declares that there is a need to minimize the governmental paperwork burden for state and local government entities, individuals, businesses, and others; that the costs of collecting, maintaining, using, and disseminating information are constantly escalating due to the increasingly voluminous and complex nature of state statutes and regulations; that there is a need to coordinate, integrate, and to the extent practicable and appropriate, make uniform the information policies and practices in North Dakota; and that the governmental paperwork burden can best be eased by establishing a statewide forms management program within the information technology department

54-44.6-02. Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires: 1

"Agency" means any department, office, commission, board, or other unit, however designated, of the executive branch of state government

"Form" means any document designed to record information and containing blank spaces and which may contain headings, captions, boxes, or other printed or written devices to guide the entry and interpretation of the information

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54-44.6-03. State forms manager

The chief information officer of the state shall serve as the state forms manager. The manager shall administer in the executive branch of state government the forms management program established by this chapter. The program must apply efficient and economical management methods to the creation and utilization of state forms

54-44.6-04. Duties of manager

The manager shall: 1

Establish a statewide forms management program, prescribing the standards and procedures for forms creation and utilization

2. Conduct surveys of forms management practices to identify forms which can be standardized, consolidated, or eliminated as duplicative and unnecessary

Assist agencies in the design of those forms which cannot be eliminated to minimize the effort and costs required to complete them

Establish a forms management program to provide agencies with forms design and revision services and to develop and implement standards for design, typography, format, data sequence, analysis, and numbering of state forms

Establish a central state form numbering system and a central cross-index filing system of state forms

Provide training for agency forms coordinators

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54-44.6-05. Duties of agencies

Each agency shall: 1

Establish and maintain an active, continuing program for the economical and efficient management of forms and cooperate with the manager in the conduct of forms management surveys

Implement forms management rules and procedures issued by the manager

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3. Designate an agency forms coordinator who shall cooperate with the manager in the development of the content requirements of the form design process and who shall otherwise assist the agency and the office in implementing the provisions of this chapter

Page No. 1 54-44.6-06. Forms review

Agencies must submit any proposed new or revised form to the manager for review. The manager shall analyze the form, advise the affected agency of comments and recommendations, and assist the agency with any recommended revision of the form

54-44.6-07. Assistance to legislative and judicial branches

Upon request, the manager shall assist and advise in the establishment of forms management programs in the legislative and judicial branches of state government and shall, as required by them, provide services similar to those available to the executive branch of state government

54-44.6-08. Rules

The manager may adopt any rules in accordance with chapter 28-32 necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter

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