MINUTES

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

Thursday, November 29, 2012

9:00 a.m.

Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.10 and 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Government Organization was held on Thursday, November 29, 2012, in the Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20, at Austin, Texas.

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MEMBERS PRESENT:	MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair	Senator Brian Birdwell
Senator Glenn Hegar, Vice Chair	Senator Jane Nelson
Senator Rodney Ellis	Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.	Senator John Whitmire

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The chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. A quorum was established at 10:52 a.m. The following business was transacted:

The Chair invited committee members to make opening remarks and to introduce their respective staff members. Accordingly, Senator Ellis introduced Tina Tran.

Senator Zaffirini introduced Rachel McClure, Senate Government Organization Committee Director; Sarah Brownstein, Policy Analyst; and Isabel Casas, Assistant Committee Clerk. She also introduced her Chief of Staff, Sean Griffin, and Public Information Aide, Will Krueger.

The Chair made opening remarks and explained that the purpose of the hearing was to address interim charges one, two, and five:

Interim Charge One: Investigate the costs and benefits of cost-effectiveness in state agency rule making and consider the development of cost-effectiveness standards for all state agencies.

Interim Charge Two: Examine ways to ensure the protection of state information and electronic data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Interim Charge Five: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Government Organization, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.

The following invited witnesses testified regarding cost-effectiveness analysis:

a.         Nichole Bunker-Henderson, Deputy Chief, Administrative Law, Office of the Attorney General

b.         Christina Martinez Self, Office of General Counsel, Railroad Commission of Texas

c.         Steve Aragón, Chief Counsel, Health and Human Services Commission

d.         Lisa Dawn-Fisher, Associate Commissioner for School Finance, Texas Education Agency

e.         Caroline Sweeney, Special Council, Texas Commission of Environmental Quality

The following invited witnesses testified regarding cybersecurity:

a.         Karen Robinson, Executive Director, Department of Information Resources

b.         Angel Cruz, State Information Security Officer, Department of Information Resources

c.         Sam Segran, Council member, The Texas Cybersecurity, Education and Economic Development Council

At 10:28 a.m. the Chair closed invited testimony and opened the floor for public testimony.

Names of witnesses who provided public testimony are shown on the attached list. The Chair closed public testimony at 10:53 a.m.

There being no further business, at 10:53 a.m., Senator Zaffirini announced that the Committee would stand in recess, subject to the call of the chair.

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Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair

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Isabel Casas, Assistant Clerk