Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 1152 amends the Information Resources Management Act and the Education Code to modify and expand the operations of the TexasOnline project and the electronic system for occupational licensing transactions. The bill changes the composition of the TexasOnline Authority by adding two public members and replacing the representative appointed by the Department of Information Resources (DIR) with a governor-appointed DIR board member, shifts certain functions between the TexasOnline Authority and the Department of Information Resources, and repeals a sunset provision relating to the TexasOnline division of the DIR. The bill requires state agencies with Internet websites to link to TexasOnline from their respective main pages, revises provisions relating to use of the occupational licensing electronic system, adds to the entities that must use that system and gives them representation on the associated steering committee, and addresses various other matters including TexasOnline fees and intellectual property rights.

            A new Education Code subchapter requires the Texas Education Agency, with assistance from the DIR and participation by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, interested school districts, and the private sector, to establish and maintain an education Internet portal. The portal, to be hosted and organized by the DIR through TexasOnline, is for use by school districts, teachers, parents, and students and is mandated to serve as a single point of access to educational resources. Authorized uses include access to on-line courses, access to tutorials and on-line textbooks, access to administrative software and electronic tools, secure access to student assessment data, and links to appropriate Internet educational resources and experts. The new code provisions elaborate on those uses and the funding of the portal.