BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1128

By: Herrero

Government Efficiency & Reform

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The president of the United States launched the Government Reform for Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative in 2011 to seek ideas from federal employees regarding ways to make government more effective and efficient and to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.  Since the initiative's launch, thousands of cost-cutting ideas have been submitted and many of the best ideas were put into practice.  C.S.H.B. 1128 seeks to establish a similar program for the submission of cost-cutting ideas and suggestions at the state level.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Information Resources in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1128 amends the Government Code under the Information Resources Management Act to require each state agency that has 1,500 or more employees, excluding an institution of higher education, 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. The bill requires each state agency to post on the agency's generally accessible Internet website a link allowing members of the public to monitor the submissions in real time or on a weekly or monthly basis and to vote for the public's favorite submission. The bill authorizes the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to exclude a state agency from the posting requirements if the agency has a preexisting program or link that DIR determines substantially meets the requirements.  The bill requires DIR to adopt rules establishing procedures and required formats for implementing the bill's provisions and requires such rules to require that the submissions and votes be moderated to exclude overtly political or offensive material.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1128 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 2054.1264 to read as follows: Sec. 2054.1264. 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.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 2054.1264 to read as follows: Sec. 2054.1264. 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. The rules adopted under this subsection must require that submissions under Subsection (b) and votes under Subsection (c) be moderated to exclude overtly political or offensive material.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.