HBA-AMW S.B. 1146 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1146 By: Shapleigh Environmental Regulation 4/27/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The 76th Legislature authorized the Electronic Government Task Force to create the TexasOnline Internet portal to provide a single point of access to electronic government services in Texas for citizens and businesses. One of the key goals for TexasOnline is to provide a public portal that allows users to quickly locate and access the variety of electronic services and information offered by state and local government. Currently, the portal has information links to business, education, and health sites, but no single, coordinated information link to issues related to environmental protection or quality or to the development, conservation, or preservation of natural resources. Senate Bill 1146 requires the creation of an information link for state agencies with jurisdiction over environmental and natural resource matters. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1146 amends the Government Code to require state agencies with jurisdiction over matters related to environmental protection or quality or to the development, conservation, or preservation of natural resources to develop a single information link through the TexasOnline portal in cooperation with the Department of Information Resources (DIR). The bill provides that the link access information and services related to the agencies' authority and duties, including access to agency rules and other public information. The bill requires DIR to coordinate the efforts of the agencies in developing the information link. The bill authorizes DIR, if DIR has a program management office, to delegate the coordination of efforts in developing the information link to that office. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.