1-1     By:  Ellis                                             S.B. No. 801
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 1999; March 3, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     March 29, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; March 29, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 801                     By:  Cain
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to electronic access to certain state agency information.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 2001, Government Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 2001.006 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 2001.006.  CERTAIN EXPLANATORY INFORMATION MADE
1-15     AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET.  (a)  A state agency shall make its
1-16     rules and selected written letters, opinions, or other statements
1-17     that explain or interpret one or more of its rules available
1-18     through a generally accessible Internet site.
1-19           (b)  A state agency may comply with this section through the
1-20     actions of another agency, such as the secretary of state, on the
1-21     agency's behalf.
1-22           SECTION 2.  Section 2054.096, Government Code, is amended to
1-23     read as follows:
1-24           Sec. 2054.096.  CONTENT OF AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN.  (a)  Each
1-25     agency strategic plan must be consistent with the state strategic
1-26     plan and include:
1-27                 (1)  a statement of the state agency's goals,
1-28     objectives, and programs as found in the agency's legislative
1-29     appropriations request;
1-30                 (2)  a description of the agency's major data bases and
1-31     their applications;
1-32                 (3)  a description of the agency's information
1-33     resources management organizations, policies, and practices;
1-34                 (4)  a description of interagency computer networks in
1-35     which the agency participates;
1-36                 (5)  a statement of the strategic objectives of the
1-37     agency relating to information resources management for the next
1-38     five fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year during which the
1-39     plan is submitted, with a description of how those objectives help
1-40     achieve the agency's programs and goals, and a description of how
1-41     those objectives support and promote the goals and policies of the
1-42     state strategic plan; and
1-43                 (6)  other planning components that the department may
1-44     prescribe.
1-45           (b)  Each state agency that receives information from members
1-46     of the public or from regulated persons by means of a form or that
1-47     receives payments of money from members of the public or from
1-48     regulated persons must also include in its strategic plan a plan
1-49     for receiving the forms or the payments through the Internet or
1-50     through other electronic means.  The department shall assist state
1-51     agencies in developing this portion of the strategic plan.  The
1-52     plan must:
1-53                 (1)  include appropriate security measures that follow
1-54     guidelines established by the department;
1-55                 (2)  include performance measures that will allow the
1-56     department and the legislature to evaluate the agency's progress in
1-57     implementing the plan; and
1-58                 (3)  specify the time during which the agency will
1-59     fully implement the plan.
1-60           SECTION 3.  Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
1-61     amended by adding Section 2054.121 to read as follows:
1-62           Sec. 2054.121.  LINKING AND INDEXING INTERNET SITES.
1-63     (a)  All state agencies that maintain a generally accessible
1-64     Internet site shall cooperate to facilitate useful electronic links
 2-1     among the sites.  State agencies shall attempt to link their sites
 2-2     in such a manner that different sites from which persons can be
 2-3     expected to need information concurrently are linked.
 2-4           (b)  Each state agency that maintains a generally accessible
 2-5     Internet site shall establish the site so that the site can be
 2-6     located easily through electronic means.
 2-7           (c)  The department on request shall assist an agency to
 2-8     comply with this section.
 2-9           SECTION 4.  Each state agency shall phase in, in the most
2-10     cost-effective manner and in accordance with available
2-11     appropriations, the changes in law made by this Act that require
2-12     the agency to make information available on the Internet.
2-13           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-18     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-19     passage, and it is so enacted.
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