SRC-JBJ S.B. 1115 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1115
By: Armbrister
State Affairs
3/28/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Department of Information Resources (department) is
prohibited from hiring an employee at or above a certain salary if the
employee's spouse is an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a business
entity or of a trade association that has a substantial interest in the
information resources technologies industry and that may contract with
state government.  This prohibition can cause an undue and unnecessary
burden on the department's efforts to attract and retain highly qualified
information technology professionals.  As proposed, S.B. 1115 amends
provisions regarding conflict of interests to require the department to
remove from the bidding process, including the proposal development through
the contract award and negotiation, any employee who receives more than
five percent of the individual's income from any likely respondent to a bid
proposal issued by the department or whose spouse is employed by any likely
respondent to a bid proposal issued by the department. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 2054.022(b), Government Code, to delete existing
text pertaining to the ineligibility of certain persons with substantial
interest in the information resources technologies to be board members or
highly compensated employees of the Department of Information Resources
(department).  Requires the department to remove from the bidding process,
including development of the proposal through award of the contract and
contract negotiation, any employee who receives more than five percent of
the individual's income from any likely respondent to a bid proposal issued
by the department, or whose spouse is employed by any likely respondent to
a bid proposal issued by the department. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.