AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The purpose of this bill is to set up websites where state agency employees can submit efficiency and operational suggestions and the public can view and vote on the suggestions. The bill also requires the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) to post budget-related documents prepared by the LBB.
H.B. 2439 seeks to encourage ideas that could improve the effectiveness of state government, increase efficiency, and save money by requiring certain state agencies to provide website links that allow for the submission of ideas on how to make the agency more cost-efficient and that allow for voting on those ideas.
The bill also requires LBB to post online all documents prepared by LBB that are provided to a committee, subcommittee or conference committee in connection with an appropriations bill.
H.B. 2439 amends current law relating to posting suggestions and ideas on cost-efficiency and certain budget documents on certain state agency websites.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, by adding Section 2054.1265, as follows:
Sec. 2054.1265. POSTING OF COST-EFFICIENCY SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS ON STATE AGENCY WEBSITE. (a) Provides that, in this section, "state agency" does not include an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003 (Definitions), Education Code.
(b) Requires each state agency that has 1,500 or more employees, except as provided by Subsection (d), to post on the agency's intranet website or generally accessible Internet website an electronic form or link allowing an employee of the agency to submit suggestions and ideas on how to make the agency more cost-efficient.
(c) Requires each state agency, except as provided by Subsection (d), to post on the agency's generally accessible Internet website a link allowing members of the public to:
(1) monitor, in real time or on a weekly or monthly basis, submissions made under Subsection (b); and
(2) vote for the public's favorite submission.
(d) Authorizes the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to exclude from the requirements of this section a state agency if the agency has a preexisting program or link that DIR determines substantially meets the requirements of this section.
(e) Requires DIR to adopt rules establishing procedures and required formats for implementing this section.
SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 322, Government Code, by adding Section 322.0081, as follows:
Sec. 322.0081. BUDGET DOCUMENTS ONLINE. (a) Requires the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), in order to assist members of the public in posting cost-efficiency suggestions and ideas, to post on LBB's Internet website all documents prepared by the board that are provided to a committee, subcommittee, or conference committee of either house of the legislature in connection with an appropriations bill.
(b) Requires LBB to post a document to which this section applies as soon as practicable after the document is provided to a committee, subcommittee, or conference committee.
(c) Requires that the document be downloadable and provide data in an open standard format that allows the public to search, extract, organize, and analyze the information in the document.
SECTION 3. Provides that Section 322.0081, Government Code, as added by this Act, applies only to documents provided to a committee, subcommittee, or conference committee on or after October 1, 2011.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2011.