By: Smith, A. H.C.R. No. 124
73R9110 SRD-F
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Governments collect and provide information for
1-2 public purposes, and information residing in the various agencies
1-3 of state government is a strategic asset belonging to the people of
1-4 Texas; and
1-5 WHEREAS, Governments have an obligation to keep their
1-6 information in formats that are sufficiently flexible to meet the
1-7 reasonable requests of citizens for information about government;
1-8 and
1-9 WHEREAS, Texas state government must comply with open records
1-10 laws and can offer a valuable service to its constituents by
1-11 bringing together information from its various repositories through
1-12 a single point of access system; and
1-13 WHEREAS, A single point of access will save taxpayers money,
1-14 eliminate duplication of service, remove confusion over where to go
1-15 for information, and serve as a valuable resource for citizens,
1-16 businesses, and communities; and
1-17 WHEREAS, Technological and theoretical advances in the area
1-18 of information use are ongoing at a rapid pace and the nature of
1-19 these advances presents Texas with the opportunity to provide
1-20 higher quality, more timely, and more cost-effective governmental
1-21 services; and
1-22 WHEREAS, Cost-effective technologies such as toll-free 1-800
1-23 telephone numbers, personal computers with modems, and relational
1-24 databases allow users to dial into systems and have access to
2-1 volumes of information residing at a number of state agencies; and
2-2 WHEREAS, Texas state agencies and universities currently
2-3 operate more than 30 data networks that use the statewide
2-4 telecommunications backbone for transport and can be accessed
2-5 remotely; now, therefore, be it
2-6 RESOLVED, That the 73rd Legislature of the State of Texas
2-7 hereby request the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
2-8 representatives to create a joint interim study committee to
2-9 examine opportunities for providing equal electronic access to
2-10 state information required by the public and businesses; and, be it
2-11 further
2-12 RESOLVED, That such a committee be composed of six
2-13 members: one senator and one citizen appointed by the lieutenant
2-14 governor, one house member and one citizen appointed by the
2-15 speaker, and two citizen members appointed by the governor; and, be
2-16 it further
2-17 RESOLVED, That the chair be designated by agreement between
2-18 the lieutenant governor and the speaker; and, be it further
2-19 RESOLVED, That the committee be assisted by an advisory
2-20 committee consisting of representatives of the attorney general,
2-21 the department of commerce, the commissioner of education, the
2-22 commissioner of higher education, the Department of Information
2-23 Resources, the state library and archives commission, the secretary
2-24 of state, and other persons designated by the committee; and, be it
2-25 further
2-26 RESOLVED, That the committee be authorized to appoint
2-27 subcommittees with representatives of state agencies and
3-1 universities, as needed; and, be it further
3-2 RESOLVED, That the committee consider the roles of private
3-3 information vendors as well as those of existing state networks and
3-4 applications, and that all state agencies and institutions
3-5 cooperate with the committee; and, be it further
3-6 RESOLVED, That the committee be directed to study and develop
3-7 recommendations to achieve the following goals:
3-8 (1) a single point of access to the various existing
3-9 state-operated bulletin board systems;
3-10 (2) electronic access for members of the public to the
3-11 public information of state agencies via a gateway service;
3-12 (3) a dial-in gateway or electronic network for access
3-13 to public information;
3-14 (4) appropriate oversight of any network management;
3-15 (5) ways and means of expanding the amount and kind of
3-16 public information provided, increasing the utility of the public
3-17 information provided in the form in which provided, expanding the
3-18 base of users who access such public information, and, where
3-19 appropriate, implementing such changes;
3-20 (6) technological ways and means of improving citizen
3-21 and business access to public information and, where appropriate,
3-22 implementing such technological improvements; and
3-23 (7) technological ways and means of providing for
3-24 two-way electronic communications, such as electronic mail, between
3-25 citizens and business and government agencies and, where
3-26 appropriate, implementing such technologies; and, be it further
3-27 RESOLVED, That the committee seek advice from the general
4-1 public, professional associations, academic groups and
4-2 institutions, and individuals with knowledge of and interest in
4-3 areas of networking, electronic mail, public information access,
4-4 gateway services, add-on services, and electronic filing of
4-5 information; and, be it further
4-6 RESOLVED, That the committee consider federal initiatives and
4-7 practices in this area; and, be it further
4-8 RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and
4-9 recommendations to the governor and the legislature by September 1,
4-10 1994, for consideration by the 74th Legislature or at the next
4-11 available opportunity; and, be it further
4-12 RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
4-13 governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
4-14 committees as the 73rd Legislature may adopt and that such rules
4-15 and policies supersede the provisions of this resolution to the
4-16 extent of any conflict.