80R10480 TAD-F

By: Callegari H.B. No. 3126

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the planning and management of state telecommunications services by the Department of Information Resources.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2054.051, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

(g) The department shall establish plans and policies for the system of telecommunications services managed and operated by the department.

SECTION 2. Section 2054.055(b), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The report must:

(1) assess the progress made toward meeting the goals and objectives of the state strategic plan for information resources management;

(2) describe major accomplishments of the state or a specific state agency in information resources management;

(3) describe major problems in information resources management confronting the state or a specific state agency;

(4) provide a summary of the total expenditures for information resources and information resources technologies by the state;

(5) make recommendations for improving the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the state's use of information resources; [and]

(6) include a list compiled by the department's program management office from the information gathered under Sections 2055.152 and 2055.153 of the electronic government projects:

(A) that are managed by the office under Chapter 2055; and

(B) that are not yet managed by the office under Chapter 2055, but have been selected for management under Chapter 2055; and

(7) assess the progress made toward accomplishing the goals of the plan for a state telecommunications network and developing a system of telecommunications services as provided by Subchapter H.

SECTION 3. Section 2054.091(d), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) The executive director shall appoint an advisory committee to assist in the preparation of the state strategic plan. The members of the advisory committee appointed by the executive director must be approved by the board and must include officers or employees of state government. [The telecommunications planning and oversight council shall appoint one of its members to serve as a member of the advisory committee.]

SECTION 4. Section 2054.092(b), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The plan must:

(1) provide a strategic direction for information resources management in state government for the five fiscal years following adoption of the plan;

(2) outline a state information architecture that contains a logically consistent set of principles, policies, and standards to guide the engineering of state government's information technology systems and infrastructure in a way that ensures compatibility and alignment with state government's needs;

(3) designate and report on critical electronic government projects to be directed by the department, including a project for electronic purchasing;

(4) provide information about best practices to assist state agencies in adopting effective information management methods, including the design, deployment, and management of information resources projects, cost-benefit analyses, and staff reengineering methods to take full advantage of technological advancements;

(5) establish reporting guidelines for state agencies to report in agency strategic plans:

(A) the outcomes and progress related to the strategic direction of the state;

(B) information necessary to evaluate opportunities for information technology consolidation;

(C) progress toward implementing electronic government projects designated under Subdivision (3);

(D) the return on investment for projects and cost-benefit models for the projects; and

(E) other provisions in this section;

(6) provide long-range policy guidelines for information resources in state government, including the implementation of national, international, and department standards for information resources technologies;

(7) identify major issues faced by state agencies related to the acquisition of computer hardware, computer software, and information resources technology services and develop a statewide approach to address the issues, including:

(A) developing performance measures for purchasing and contracting; and

(B) identifying opportunities to reuse computer software code purchased with public funds; [and]

(8) identify priorities for:

(A) the implementation of information resources technologies according to the relative economic and social impact on the state; and

(B) return on investment and cost-benefit analysis strategies; and

(9) provide information about best practices to assist state agencies in adopting methods for design, deployment, and management of telecommunications services.

SECTION 5. The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER H. TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANNING [AND OVERSIGHT COUNCIL]

SECTION 6. Sections 2054.203(a), (b), and (g), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall comprehensively collect and manage telecommunications network configuration information about existing and planned telecommunications networks throughout state government.

(b) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] may require state agencies to submit to the department [council] the agencies' network configuration information, but the department [council] must use existing reports to gather the information if possible and minimize the reporting burden on agencies to the extent possible.

(g) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall perform strategic planning for all state telecommunications services in accordance with the guiding principles of the state strategic plan for information resources management.

SECTION 7. Sections 2054.204(a) and (c), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall develop a plan for a state telecommunications network that will effectively and efficiently meet the long-term requirements of state government for voice, video, and computer communications, with the goal of achieving a single centralized telecommunications network for state government.

(c) The plan must incorporate efficiencies obtained through the use of shared transmission services and open systems architecture as they become available, building on existing systems as appropriate. To advise the department in [In] developing the plan, the executive director shall appoint an advisory committee that consists [the telecommunications planning and oversight council shall make use of the technical expertise] of representatives of state agencies, including institutions of higher education, telecommunications vendors, and customers of the state telecommunications network.

SECTION 8. Section 2054.205, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 2054.205. DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM. (a) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall develop functional requirements for a statewide system of telecommunications services for all state agencies. Existing networks, as configured on September 1, 1991, of institutions of higher education are exempt from the requirements.

(b) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall develop requests for information and proposals for a statewide system of telecommunications services for all state agencies.

SECTION 9. Sections 2054.2051(a), (b), and (c), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall develop service objectives for the consolidated telecommunications system and the centralized capitol complex telephone system.

(b) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall develop performance measures to establish cost-effective operations and staffing of the consolidated telecommunications system and the centralized capitol complex telephone system.

(c) The department [telecommunications planning and oversight council] shall review the status of all projects related to and the financial performance of the consolidated telecommunications system and the centralized capitol complex telephone system, including:

(1) a comparison between actual performance and projected goals at least once every three months; and

(2) any benefit of contracting with private vendors to provide some or all of the systems at least once each year.

SECTION 10. Section 2170.001(a)(1), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(1) "Telecommunications services" means [intercity] communications facilities or services, including local services provided over converged networks. The term does not include single agency point-to-point radio systems or facilities or services of criminal justice information communication systems.

SECTION 11. Section 2170.002, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 2170.002. DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. (a) The department is the state agency responsible for obtaining telecommunications services.

(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, Section 2170.051, or other law, a state agency may choose to procure local services either through the department or by using any other authorized procurement method. A state agency is not required to comply with Section 2170.051(d) in procuring such services.

SECTION 12. The following laws are repealed:

(1) Section 2054.201, Government Code;

(2) Section 2054.202, Government Code;

(3) Section 2054.2025, Government Code;

(4) Sections 2054.203(c) and (d), Government Code;

(5) Section 2054.2051(d), Government Code;

(6) Section 2054.206, Government Code;

(7) Section 2054.207, Government Code; and

(8) Section 2170.060, Government Code.

SECTION 13. (a) The telecommunications planning and oversight council is abolished.

(b) A rule, form, plan, policy, or order of the telecommunications planning and oversight council is continued in effect as a rule, form, plan, policy, or order of the Department of Information Resources until superseded by a rule or other appropriate action of the department.

SECTION 14. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.