§ 9-2-2501. Director of department of enterprise technology services; duties; electronic transaction of business.

(a) Repealed by Laws 2005 ch. 174, § 3.

(b) The state chief information officer may provide for any state agency business to be conducted electronically in accordance with rules adopted under this section and in conformity with the provisions of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in title 40, chapter 21. No state agency shall be required by the chief information officer to conduct business electronically. Any state agency desiring to conduct business electronically shall adopt the procedures contained in rules of the department of enterprise technology services.

(c) The department of enterprise technology services may enact rules the chief information officer deems necessary to implement this section subject to the provisions of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in title 40, chapter 21. The rules shall at a minimum:

(i) Establish standards for all state agencies conducting business electronically;

(ii) Establish parameters for ensuring security in conducting state agency business electronically;

(iii) Establish authorized methods and requirements for conducting business electronically and authenticating identifications. The rules shall require that each individual required by applicable statute or rule to sign any document be specifically identified as acknowledging the document and giving assent to the electronic transmission through a key encryption or other identification procedure unique to that individual;

(iv) Prescribe a procedure for certification by a state agency of information transmitted electronically; and

(v) Prescribe a procedure for converting information transmitted electronically to paper and certifying the paper copy for persons requiring paper copies.

(d) In adopting rules the department of enterprise technology services shall consider whether the rule will allow for efficient, safe, secure and accurate transactions.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law requiring a manual or facsimile signature on information filed with a state agency any information filed electronically which meets the requirements of the rules adopted pursuant to this section shall be considered to be lawfully filed with the state agency for all legal purposes if that agency has authorized the electronic filing.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any requirement of statute or rule that a particular individual or officer of an organization acknowledge a document. Any person using a key encryption or other identification procedure in place of a manual or facsimile signature for any filing under this section shall be subject to the same civil and criminal penalties applicable to persons providing a manual or facsimile signature.

(g) A state agency shall not be liable for any loss or damages arising from errors in or omissions from information filed electronically.

(h) No statutory provision which authorizes facsimile or electronic filing with any state agency shall be superseded by this section or any rule of the department adopted pursuant to this section.

(j) As used in this section, “state agency” means any authority, bureau, board, commission, department, division, institution or officer of the state, except the state legislature and the judiciary.