By: Gallego (Senate Sponsor - Watson) H.B. No. 2439

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2011; May 11, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Government Organization; May 23, 2011, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 23, 2011, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2439 By: Hegar

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to posting suggestions and ideas on cost-efficiency and certain budget documents on certain state agency websites.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 2054.1265 and 2054.1266 to read as follows:

Sec. 2054.1265. POSTING OF COST-EFFICIENCY SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS ON STATE AGENCY WEBSITE. (a) In this section, "state agency" does not include an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), each state agency that has 1,500 or more employees shall 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) Except as provided by Subsection (d), each state agency shall 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) The department may exclude from the requirements of this section a state agency if the agency has a preexisting program or link that the department determines substantially meets the requirements of this section.

(e) The department shall adopt rules establishing procedures and required formats for implementing this section.

Sec. 2054.1266. POSTING HIGH-VALUE DATA SETS ON INTERNET. (a) In this section:

(1) "High-value data set" means information that can be used to increase state agency accountability and responsiveness, improve public knowledge of the agency and its operations, further the core mission of the agency, create economic opportunity, or respond to need and demand as identified through public consultation. The term does not include information that is confidential or protected from disclosure under state or federal law.

(2) "State agency" means a board, commission, office, department, or other agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of state government. The term includes an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.

(b) Each state agency shall post on a generally accessible Internet website maintained by or for the agency each high-value data set created or maintained by the agency, if the agency:

(1) determines that, using existing resources, the agency can post the data set on the Internet website at no additional cost to the state;

(2) enters into a contract advantageous to the state under which the contractor posts the data set on the Internet website at no additional cost to the state; or

(3) receives a gift or grant specifically for the purpose of posting one or more of the agency's high-value data sets on the Internet website.

(c) A high-value data set posted by a state agency under this section must be raw data in open standard format that allows the public to search, extract, organize, and analyze the information.

(d) The web page on which a state agency's high-value data set is posted must:

(1) use the agency's Internet website home page address and include the uniform resource locator suffix "data"; and

(2) have a conspicuously displayed link on either the agency's Internet website home page or another intuitive location accessible from the agency's Internet website home page.

(e) A state agency may accept a gift or grant for the purpose of posting one or more of the agency's high-value data sets on an Internet website.

SECTION 2. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 322.0081 to read as follows:

Sec. 322.0081. BUDGET DOCUMENTS ONLINE. (a) In order to assist members of the public in posting cost-efficiency suggestions and ideas, the board shall post on the board'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) The board shall 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) The document must 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. 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. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.

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