BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                         H.B. 66

80R11527 MCK-D                                                                             By: Leibowitz et al. (Watson)

                                                                                                                  Government Organization

                                                                                                                                            4/25/2007

                                                                                                                                           Engrossed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Commercially available software exists that can reduce power usage of a personal computer and reportedly can save an average of $20 per computer per year.  The state  has the potential to save on its energy bill through the use of such power management software (software).  The state currently maintains approximately 109,000 networked personal computers at state agencies and 193,000 at state universities.

 

H.B. 66 requires the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to select a software program for state computer networks and personal computers.  DIR would determine if the software would benefit a state agency and, if so, the agency would acquire the software for its networked personal computers.

 

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 Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, by adding Section 2054.124, as follows:

 

Sec. 2054.124.  POWER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.  (a) Requires the Department of Information Resources (DIR), after researching the software available, to select power management software (software) to be used, if technically feasible, by state agencies to reduce the amount of energy required to operate state computer networks and networked personal computers.

 

(b) Requires each state agency that would benefit from using software that would provide cost savings to this state in the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2009, as determined by DIR, to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire and use the software for the agency's computer networks to manage the energy usage of the agency's networked personal computers.  Provides that this subsection expires September 1, 2009.

 

(c) Requires an institution of higher education (institution) to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire and use software only if DIR, in consultation with the Information Technology Council for Higher Education, determines that the institution's use of software would provide cost savings to this state.  Requires DIR, in making a determination under this subsection, to perform the analysis described by Section 2054.121(c) (relating to an analysis of the impact of certain proposed rules on institutions).  Requires the analysis to include an assessment of how the use of software affects the security of electronic data, including data protected from public disclosure by state or federal law.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2007.