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Records Management Division
CHAPTER 25
PAPERWORK REDUCTION AND SIMPLIFICATION
Section
4-25-101. Short title.
4-25-102. Legislative intent.
4-25-103. Definitions.
4-25-104. Forms reduction and management program.
4-25-105. Forms require director's approval - Elimination or redesign
of forms - Agency compliance.
4-25-106. [Repealed.]
4-25-107. Reports.
4-25-108. Liberal construction.
4-25-101. Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Paperwork
Reduction and Simplification Act of 1976."
[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 1; T.C.A., § 4-2501.]
Compiler's Notes. For An Order to Establish Guidelines and
Procedures Relative to the Approval, Use and Disposition of State
Records and Forms, see Executive Order No. 63 (November 29, 1984).
4-25-102. Legislative intent.
The legislative intent of this chapter is declared to be as
follows:
Information reporting requirements of the state government have
proliferated to the point that they have placed an unprecedented
paperwork burden upon citizens and businesses. It is hereby declared
to be the policy of the state to reduce, simplify and minimize these
requirements and the forms they necessitate to the fullest extent
consistent with the necessity of gathering data sufficient to assure
the efficient and effective operation of the necessary programs of
state government. It is essential that there be a comprehensive and
ongoing examination of the policies and procedures of the state
government which have produced this paperwork burden in order to
assure that this policy is fully implemented on a continuing basis.
[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 2; T.C.A., § 4-2502.]
4-25-103. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires
otherwise:
<(1) "Agency" means any administrative unit within state
government which utilizes one (1) or more printed forms for
information reporting by citizens or businesses;
(2) "Department" means the department of general services;
(3) "Director" means the commissioner of the department;
(4) "Form" means a printed or otherwise mass-duplicated
document of standard format distributed by an agency for the purpose
of gathering information from citizens or businesses; and
(5) "Program" means the forms reduction and management
program.
<[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 3; T.C.A., § 4-2503; Acts 1982, ch.
563, § 1.]
4-25-104. Forms reduction and management program.
The director shall establish and implement a forms reduction and
management program in the department which shall apply to every agency
of state government. In so doing, the director is authorized and
directed to:
(1) Make an inventory of all forms used by every agency, together
with a brief statement of the authorization, need and use for each;
(2) Assign a number to each form determined to be properly
authorized, needed and used;
(3) Direct the destruction and prohibit the further use of each form
determined not to be properly authorized, needed and used;
(4) Establish basic state design and specification criteria to
effect the standardization of all forms to which numbers are assigned
to be made effective with respect to each form upon the exhausting by
the agency concerned of its current inventory of that form;
(5) Design and require the use of composite forms by agencies
seeking and needing the same or similar information from individuals
or businesses;
(6) Deny the use by any agency of a form to obtain information from
individuals or businesses which can be obtained from another agency
already gathering that information;
(7) Provide assistance to all agencies in determination of the need
for and design of new forms;
(8) Develop procedures for the most efficient, economical and timely
procurement, receipt, storage and distribution of forms by all
agencies;
(9) Coordinate the program with the existing state archives and
records management programs; and
(10) Develop and promulgate rules, regulations and standards
necessary to implement the foregoing authority and the legislative
intent of this chapter, in accordance with the provisions of the
Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in chapter 5 of this
title.
[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 4; T.C.A., § 4-2504.]
4-25-105. Forms require director's approval - Elimination or
redesign of forms - Agency compliance.
(a) No agency shall issue, cause to be printed or otherwise
duplicated or distributed any form which does not have the prior
approval of the director and to which the director has assigned a
number.
(b) Each agency shall comply immediately and fully with directives
of the director for the elimination or redesign of any form in use on
July 1, 1976, and shall provide the director with whatever personal or
staff assistance is required to carry out those directives.
(c) Compliance with the provisions of this chapter and rules,
regulations and standards promulgated by the director pursuant to the
director's authority is mandatory upon the chief executive officer of
each agency, although such chief executive officer may delegate the
authority to act in such chief executive officer's behalf in so doing
to a subordinate official within the agency.
[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 5; T.C.A., § 4-2505.]
4-25-106. [Repealed.]
Compiler's Notes. Former § 4-25-106 (Acts 1976, ch.
757, § 6; T.C.A., § 4-2506; Acts 1982, ch. 563, §§
2, 3), concerning the forms reduction and management appeals board,
was repealed by Acts 1992, ch. 581, § 3.
4-25-107. Reports.
(a) The director shall make a written report to the governor, the
speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and
the chairs of the senate and house state and local government
committees at least once each year, such report to be made no later
than December 1.
(b) The director shall include in the report:
(1) Proposals for legislative action needed to improve forms
reduction and management;
(2) A summary of accomplishments and planned initiatives to reduce
the number of forms used by agencies;
(3) A statement of targeted areas of reduction of paperwork within
agencies of state government;
(4) A tabulation of areas of duplication in agency forms identified
during the preceding year and efforts made to preclude the collection
of duplicate information; and
(5) A summary of procedures developed to improve efficient
procurement, receipt, storage and distribution of forms by all
agencies. History [Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 7; T.C.A., §
4-2507; Acts 1985, ch. 216, § 1.]
4-25-108. Liberal construction.
This chapter shall be liberally construed to carry out its purposes
and objectives of reducing the paperwork burden of state government
and to achieve the statement of legislative intent contained herein.
[Acts 1976, ch. 757, § 8; T.C.A., § 4-2508.] ——————————
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