Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 187 builds on a demonstration project established legislatively in 1999, by amending the Information Resources Management Act to create the TexasOnline Authority. The bill extends the preceding effort, and an associated task force, until a revised termination date of November 1, 2001. The authority then may convene and is charged to implement TexasOnline, consisting of a common infrastructure for the electronic exchange of documents, payments, licenses, and other electronic services and information among state agencies, local governments, the general public, and the regulated community. The bill establishes the duties of the authority, including interagency and intergovernmental assistance and coordination, and sets reporting requirements applicable to the authority and to licensing entities. It vests policy making and rule preparation with the authority while vesting management with a new division at the Department of Information Resources and rule adoption with that agency's governing board. The bill sets conditions under which a state agency may choose to use or not use the project for agency services. Implementation is funded by fees charged to licensing entities by the authority, and other state agencies and local governments may also charge fees, if approved by the authority, to cover their costs. Licensing entity costs are offset by temporary $5 and $10 increases in annual and biennial occupational license renewal fees. Those increases expire September 1, 2005. A state agency's strategic plan for information systems must describe any information resources technology projects proposed by the agency, including a statement of how the projects relate to and are to be coordinated with similar projects at other agencies.