| TO: | Honorable Rodney Ellis, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Organization |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB266 by Hinojosa (Relating to an open document format for electronic state documents and the sharing of information electronically among state agencies.), As Introduced |
The bill would require the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to include a goal for the state to obtain information resources technology that complies with open standards and open format requirements in the state strategic plan for information resources.
The bill would require DIR, in consultation with the Client Information Interchange Standards Committee, to define open standards and open formats that meet the needs of the state and share that information with the Committee by September 1, 2010; to issue a policy statement that identifies open standards and open format technology features specifically desired by the state; and publish and make us of planning processes and procurement processes for information resource technologies and commodity items that emphasize open standards and open formats technology and the information with the public, state agencies and the Committee no later than September 1, 2010. This requirement expires September 1, 2011.
The bill would require DIR, in consultation with the Client Information Interchange Standards Committee to develop standards for sharing information electronically among state agencies. The bill would require DIR to publish the standards on its website and shall notify the presiding officer of each house of the legislature of the published data sharing standards.
The bill would require state agencies to conform to the data sharing standards established by DIR whenever possible.
The bill would designate the members of the Client Information Interchange Standards Committee to include the governor or the governor's designee; the comptroller or the comptroller's designee; and the administrative head of the following agencies: DIR; Health and Human Services; Department of Criminal Justice; Department of Public Safety; Workforce Commission; Texas Education Agency; and any other state agency the committee determines necessary.
The bill would designate DIR's representative as the presiding officer and for DIR to provide the staff and administrative support necessary for the committee to perform its duties. The provisions of the bill related to establishing the committee expires September 1, 2015.
The bill would require DIR to give preference to commodity items that comply with open standards and open formats requirements in contracting for commodity items. The bill would also require DIR, in evaluating proposals for the purchase of an automated information system, to give preference to a system that complies with open standards and open formats requirements.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to
each house, otherwise, the bill would take effect September 1, 2009.
It is assumed that any additional responsibilities to implement the provisions of the bill could be absorbed with existing resources. However, depending on the policy and standards DIR issues regarding open standards and open formats, there could be significant costs to state agencies to implement the policy and standards.
| Source Agencies: | 212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 302 Office of the Attorney General, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 307 Secretary of State, 308 State Auditor's Office, 313 Department of Information Resources, 320 Texas Workforce Commission, 405 Department of Public Safety, 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 696 Department of Criminal Justice, 701 Central Education Agency, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KK, EP, RC
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