76R11576 JRD-D By Ellis S.B. No. 801 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 801: By Wolens C.S.S.B. No. 801 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 1-7 AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET. (a) A state agency shall make 1-8 available through a generally accessible Internet site: 1-9 (1) the text of its rules; and 1-10 (2) any material, such as a letter, opinion, or 1-11 compliance manual, that explains or interprets one or more of its 1-12 rules and that the agency has issued for general distribution to 1-13 persons affected by one or more of its rules. 1-14 (b) A state agency shall design the generally accessible 1-15 Internet site so that a member of the public may send questions 1-16 about the agency's rules to the agency electronically and receive 1-17 responses to the questions from the agency electronically. If the 1-18 agency's rules and the agency's explanatory and interpretive 1-19 materials are made available at different Internet sites, both 1-20 sites shall be designed in compliance with this subsection. 1-21 (c) A state agency shall design the generally accessible 1-22 Internet site so that it conforms to generally acceptable standards 1-23 for Internet accessibility for people with disabilities. 1-24 (d) A state agency may comply with this section through the 2-1 actions of another agency, such as the secretary of state, on the 2-2 agency's behalf. 2-3 SECTION 2. Section 2054.096, Government Code, is amended to 2-4 read as follows: 2-5 Sec. 2054.096. CONTENT OF AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) Each 2-6 agency strategic plan must be consistent with the state strategic 2-7 plan and include: 2-8 (1) a statement of the state agency's goals, 2-9 objectives, and programs as found in the agency's legislative 2-10 appropriations request; 2-11 (2) a description of the agency's major data bases and 2-12 their applications; 2-13 (3) a description of the agency's information 2-14 resources management organizations, policies, and practices; 2-15 (4) a description of interagency computer networks in 2-16 which the agency participates; 2-17 (5) a statement of the strategic objectives of the 2-18 agency relating to information resources management for the next 2-19 five fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year during which the 2-20 plan is submitted, with a description of how those objectives help 2-21 achieve the agency's programs and goals, and a description of how 2-22 those objectives support and promote the goals and policies of the 2-23 state strategic plan; and 2-24 (6) other planning components that the department may 2-25 prescribe. 2-26 (b) Each state agency that receives information from members 2-27 of the public or from regulated persons by means of a form or that 3-1 receives payments of money from members of the public or from 3-2 regulated persons must also include in its strategic plan a plan 3-3 for receiving the forms or the payments through the Internet. The 3-4 department shall assist state agencies in developing this portion 3-5 of the strategic plan. The plan must: 3-6 (1) include appropriate security measures approved by 3-7 the department; 3-8 (2) include performance measures that will allow the 3-9 department and the legislature to evaluate the agency's progress in 3-10 implementing the plan; and 3-11 (3) specify the time during which the agency will 3-12 fully implement the plan. 3-13 SECTION 3. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is 3-14 amended by adding Section 2054.121 to read as follows: 3-15 Sec. 2054.121. LINKING AND INDEXING INTERNET SITES. (a) 3-16 All state agencies that maintain a generally accessible Internet 3-17 site shall cooperate to facilitate useful electronic links among 3-18 the sites. State agencies shall attempt to link their sites in such 3-19 a manner that different sites from which persons can be expected to 3-20 need information concurrently are linked. 3-21 (b) Each state agency that maintains a generally accessible 3-22 Internet site shall establish the site so that the site can be 3-23 located easily through electronic means. 3-24 (c) The department on request shall assist an agency to 3-25 comply with this section. 3-26 SECTION 4. Each state agency shall phase in, in the most 3-27 cost-effective manner and in accordance with available 4-1 appropriations, the changes in law made by this Act that require 4-2 the agency to make information available on the Internet. 4-3 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 4-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-9 passage, and it is so enacted.