Administrative Codes and Registers Section Honors Wisconsin’s Legislative Reference Bureau as the 2020 Robert J. Colborn, Jr. Innovation Award Recipient

For Immediate Release – July 20, 2020 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Administrative Codes and Registers (ACR) Section of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) awarded the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) with the 2020 Robert J. Colburn, Jr. Innovation Award during the virtual conference.

Wisconsin undertook a conversion of the Wisconsin Administrative Code and Register from a printed publication to an automated, integrated, and web-only publication system. This effort increased accessibility, modernized the publication for both government and public users, while also significantly reducing state costs.

“We are honored to receive the Colborn Innovation Award and thank the ACR Section of NASS for recognizing Wisconsin’s modernization of its rules publication system. We would also like to thank the Wisconsin Legislative Technology Services Bureau, which assisted us throughout this project. The new rules publication system has changed the way that we do business, providing significant cost savings to taxpayers and increased public access to Wisconsin’s administrative code and register,” said Richard Champagne, Chief of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau.

“These efforts modernized Wisconsin’s rule publication practices by moving to an online rule publication system for both the code and register and an online service for notifying subscribers of updates while maintaining the essential functions of the register and the practice of regular, continuous revision of the code. Because of these homegrown innovative features, the awards committee has selected the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau for their work on the Wisconsin Administrative Code and Register as this year’s Colborn Award recipient,” said Trinette Middlebrrok, Colborn Committee Chair.

The ACR section of NASS created the Robert J. Colborn, Jr. Innovation Award in July 2001 in honor of Robert J. Colborn, Jr., who served as the administrator of the Maryland Division of State Documents from 1974 through 2001 and founded ACR. The award annually recognizes a program that demonstrates creativity and innovation in providing public access to, or managing, administrative rules. It honors the state agency that has made substantial contributions to the flow of information to the public by improving efficiency and delivery of services to citizens, businesses, and other governmental entities.

2020 ACR Robert J. Colborn Jr. Committee:

Chair: Trinette Middlebrook
Rules Specialist
State of Idaho, Department of Health and Welfare
Phone: (208) 334-0440

Committee Member: Frank Powell
Rules Specialist
State of Idaho, Department of Health and Welfare
Phone: (208) 334-5775

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