This redundancy of paperwork or data collection is inefficient for District agencies and certainly for our residents and businesses. District agencies should be able to communicate with each other and share common and necessary data when and where it makes sense. With a more efficient method of collecting information and allowing residents, businesses and agencies the ability to easily access and review information, the District can provide better services, cut down on unnecessary paperwork, and get better data faster.

This bill will create efficiencies in data collection, entry and sharing by establishing a Data Sharing and Paperwork Reduction Advisory Council that would include key agencies and community representation, including businesses that serve food and alcohol. Some of the agencies represented on the Council include the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, DCRA, the Office of Tax and Revenue, Department of Motor Vehicles, Board of Elections, the department of Local and Small Business Development, to name a few.

The advisory council will be tasked with:

• Reducing the redundancies of paperwork input requested by District agencies;
• Improving methods whereby agencies can share information on a single platform;
• Improving methods whereby agencies, residents and businesses can update information and reduce errors.

The advisory council will make recommendations in a report to the Council and the Mayor and include a plan of action.

The full text of the legislation, the Paperwork Reduction and Data Collection Act of 2017, is available online. It is co-introduced by Councilmembers Robert C. White, Jr. and David Grosso.