[April 11, 2012]

Rhode Island Ethics Commission Launches New Service: 154 Filings in First Days

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission, the Division of Information Technology, and RI.gov have collaborated to launch a new online filing service, http://www.ri.gov/ethics. The new service for the online submission and amendment of previous year's finances for those who ran as a candidate, were elected, appointed or employed into a Rhode Island state or municipal position and are required to file an annual Financial Disclosure Statement. There are more than 4,000 filers, and more than 154 online filings occurred using the new system within 48 hours of launch.

Realizing that making the form available online would be a convenience for its filers, the Ethics Commission spearheaded the project under the oversight of the Department of Administration's Division of Information Technology working with RI.gov to develop. The Financial Disclosure Statement includes 16 questions, 17 if you are a general officer. Prior to March 30, 2012, the process was manual and required the submission of a paper form.

"We are very proud to offer this service to our filers," said Kent Willever, Executive Director of the Ethics Commission. "Our Commission expects high adoption and expects success now and with the next phase of the project."

The second phase of the project is due to launch by the end of the year and will allow filers to view and amend previous years' filings.

About the Ethics Commission

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission is a constitutionally mandated body empowered to adopt, enforce and administer the Code of Ethics. The Code sets forth standards of conduct for all public officials and employees. The Commission educates and advises public officials and employees about the standards of conduct set out in the Code of Ethics. Additionally, the Ethics Commission oversees the financial disclosure program which requires all elected officials, all candidates for public office and certain categories of persons appointed to serve as officers or members of state or municipal agencies to file statements annually. Additional information is available at http://www.ethics.ri.gov.

About the RI Division of Information Technology

The vision of The RI Division of Information Technology is to be the driving force transforming government services through innovative IT solutions and provide the state employees and their agencies the necessary tools to provide the best possible services to the citizens of Rhode Island. It's mission is to enable State Government to meet its goals effectively and efficiently by providing leadership in the application of information technology and delivering secure, innovative, and reliable technology solutions in the most responsive and effective manner; and to continually address the ever-changing information technology landscape to improve access to information, to stimulate business activity and to ultimately address the needs of all Rhode Island citizens. Additional information is available at http://www.doit.ri.gov.

About RI.gov

RI.gov site and services are developed and maintained by Rhode Island Interactive, a Providence-based, wholly owned subsidiary of the eGovernment firm NIC (News - Alert) (NASDAQ: EGOV) offering online services. A variety of informational resources and local government online services can be found at http://www.ri.gov on behalf of the State of Rhode Island.

About NIC

NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV) manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 3,500 federal, state and local agencies across the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.

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