BILL ANALYSIS
By: Leibowitz
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Commercially available software exists that can reduce power usage of a personal computer (PC) an average of $30 per PC per year. The state currently maintains 109,000 networked personal computers in state agencies and 193,000 in state universities. There is an enormous amount of money to be saved through the use of power management software. This bill would require the Department of Information Resources to select power management software for state agencies and institutions of higher education. The Department of Information Resources would determine if the power management software would benefit a state agency and if so, purchase or lease the power management software for the agency's networked personal computers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 2442 requires the Department of Information Resources to select power management software to be used, if technically feasible, by state agencies, including institutions of higher education as defined by the Education Code, to reduce the amount of energy required to operate state computer networks and networked personal computers and to track and verify the amount of energy savings realized by the state agencies using the software. The bill provides that the Department of Information Resources will determine if power management software would benefit a state agency or institution of higher education and if so, purchase or lease the power management software for the agency's networked personal computers.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute modifies the original by changing the citation for the amendment to the Government Code. The substitute also adds language to clarify that power management software should be chose only if technically feasible. The substitute also adds language that provides that a state agency will install power management software only if it provides cost savings to the sate. The substitute also includes institutions of higher education, as well as state agencies.