By:  Ellis                                             S.B. No. 801
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to electronic access to certain state agency information.
 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-3           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 2001, Government Code, is
 1-4     amended by adding Section 2001.006 to read as follows:
 1-5           Sec. 2001.006.  CERTAIN EXPLANATORY INFORMATION MADE
 1-6     AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET.  (a)  A state agency shall make its
 1-7     rules and selected written letters, opinions, or other statements
 1-8     that explain or interpret one or more of its rules available
 1-9     through a generally accessible Internet site.
1-10           (b)  A state agency may comply with this section through the
1-11     actions of another agency, such as the secretary of state, on the
1-12     agency's behalf.
1-13           SECTION 2.  Section 2054.096, Government Code, is amended to
1-14     read as follows:
1-15           Sec. 2054.096.  CONTENT OF AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN.  (a)  Each
1-16     agency strategic plan must be consistent with the state strategic
1-17     plan and include:
1-18                 (1)  a statement of the state agency's goals,
1-19     objectives, and programs as found in the agency's legislative
1-20     appropriations request;
1-21                 (2)  a description of the agency's major data bases and
1-22     their applications;
1-23                 (3)  a description of the agency's information
1-24     resources management organizations, policies, and practices;
 2-1                 (4)  a description of interagency computer networks in
 2-2     which the agency participates;
 2-3                 (5)  a statement of the strategic objectives of the
 2-4     agency relating to information resources management for the next
 2-5     five fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year during which the
 2-6     plan is submitted, with a description of how those objectives help
 2-7     achieve the agency's programs and goals, and a description of how
 2-8     those objectives support and promote the goals and policies of the
 2-9     state strategic plan; and
2-10                 (6)  other planning components that the department may
2-11     prescribe.
2-12           (b)  Each state agency that receives information from members
2-13     of the public or from regulated persons by means of a form or that
2-14     receives payments of money from members of the public or from
2-15     regulated persons must also include in its strategic plan a plan
2-16     for receiving the forms or the payments through the Internet or
2-17     through other electronic means.  The department shall assist state
2-18     agencies in developing this portion of the strategic plan.  The
2-19     plan must:
2-20                 (1)  include appropriate security measures that follow
2-21     guidelines established by 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.
 3-1           SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
 3-2     amended by adding Section 2054.121 to read as follows:
 3-3           Sec. 2054.121.  LINKING AND INDEXING INTERNET SITES.
 3-4     (a)  All state agencies that maintain a generally accessible
 3-5     Internet site shall cooperate to facilitate useful electronic links
 3-6     among the sites.  State agencies shall attempt to link their sites
 3-7     in such a manner that different sites from which persons can be
 3-8     expected to need information concurrently are linked.
 3-9           (b)  Each state agency that maintains a generally accessible
3-10     Internet site shall establish the site so that the site can be
3-11     located easily through electronic means.
3-12           (c)  The department on request shall assist an agency to
3-13     comply with this section.
3-14           SECTION 4.  Each state agency shall phase in, in the most
3-15     cost-effective manner and in accordance with available
3-16     appropriations, the changes in law made by this Act that require
3-17     the agency to make information available on the Internet.
3-18           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-24     passage, and it is so enacted.