Governor Rell Directs State Agencies to

Skip Annual Reports or ‘Go Electronic’

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today directed all state agencies to cease printing annual reports, brochures, leaflets and similar materials unless required to meet state or federal mandates. The Governor also told agencies to stop having letterhead and business cards printed and to use electronic communications whenever possible – all steps to continue cutting expenses and help reduce the state budget deficit.

            As the end of the state fiscal year approaches on June 30, many state agencies produce annual reports or summaries of significant activities to be distributed to lawmakers, clients, nonprofit partners or other stakeholders. Some reports are required under state or federal law, usually as a part of the legislation establishing the agency or commission or as part of a bill giving the agency the responsibility for monitoring a particular issue such as the environment or social services.

            Under Governor Rell’s directive, reports that are required should be prepared and distributed electronically – by e-mail or through the Internet – wherever possible.

            “My goal is to save every dollar we can,” Governor Rell said. “Where we can skip printing altogether, we will. And where reports are required, I want them to be as paperless as possible. I realize there may be reasons why it is critical for state agencies to communicate with their customers and constituents. But in the electronic age we can save many thousands of dollars by skipping the process of formally printing required reports – most, if not all, of which are prepared on computers in the first place.

            “At the same time, I am putting a freeze on letterhead and business card printing and reminding state employees that we actually have a law – the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act – intended to make it easier for everyone to use e-mail and document scanning instead of ‘hard copy’ letters,” the Governor said. “These are small steps – but they add up, and every dollar we save now is a dollar less we will have to find when we close this budget gap.”

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