By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 1657
         76R3463 JRD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to electronic access to certain state agency information.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 2001, Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 2001.006 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 2001.006. CERTAIN EXPLANATORY INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE
 1-7     THROUGH INTERNET.  (a)  A state agency shall make its rules and
 1-8     each written letter, opinion, or other statement that explains or
 1-9     interprets one or more of its rules available through a generally
1-10     accessible Internet site.
1-11           (b)  A state agency may comply with this section through the
1-12     actions of another agency, such as the secretary of state, on the
1-13     agency's behalf.
1-14           SECTION 2.  Section 2054.096, Government Code, is amended to
1-15     read as follows:
1-16           Sec. 2054.096. CONTENT OF AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) Each
1-17     agency strategic plan must be consistent with the state strategic
1-18     plan and include:
1-19                 (1)  a statement of the state agency's goals,
1-20     objectives, and programs as found in the agency's legislative
1-21     appropriations request;
1-22                 (2)  a description of the agency's major data bases and
1-23     their applications;
1-24                 (3)  a description of the agency's information
 2-1     resources management organizations, policies, and practices;
 2-2                 (4)  a description of interagency computer networks in
 2-3     which the agency participates;
 2-4                 (5)  a statement of the strategic objectives of the
 2-5     agency relating to information resources management for the next
 2-6     five fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year during which the
 2-7     plan is submitted, with a description of how those objectives help
 2-8     achieve the agency's programs and goals, and a description of how
 2-9     those objectives support and promote the goals and policies of the
2-10     state strategic plan; and
2-11                 (6)  other planning components that the department may
2-12     prescribe.
2-13           (b)  Each state agency that receives information from members
2-14     of the public or from regulated persons by means of a form or that
2-15     receives payments of money from members of the public or from
2-16     regulated persons must also include in its strategic plan a plan
2-17     for receiving the forms or the payments through the Internet.  The
2-18     department shall assist state agencies in developing this portion
2-19     of the strategic plan. The plan must:
2-20                 (1)  include appropriate security measures approved by
2-21     the department;
2-22                 (2)  include performance measures that will allow the
2-23     department and the legislature to evaluate the agency's progress in
2-24     implementing the plan; and
2-25                 (3)  specify the time during which the agency will
2-26     fully implement the plan.
2-27           SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
 3-1     amended by adding Section 2054.121 to read as follows:
 3-2           Sec. 2054.121.  LINKING AND INDEXING INTERNET SITES.  (a)
 3-3     All state agencies that maintain a generally accessible Internet
 3-4     site shall cooperate to facilitate useful electronic links among
 3-5     the sites. State agencies shall attempt to link their sites in such
 3-6     a manner that different sites from which persons can be expected to
 3-7     need information concurrently are linked.
 3-8           (b)  Each state agency that maintains a generally accessible
 3-9     Internet site shall establish the site so that the site can be
3-10     located easily through electronic means.
3-11           (c)  The department on request shall assist an agency to
3-12     comply with this section.
3-13           SECTION 4.  Each state agency shall phase in, in the most
3-14     cost-effective manner and in accordance with available
3-15     appropriations, the changes in law made by this Act that require
3-16     the agency to make information available on the Internet.
3-17           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-23     passage, and it is so enacted.