AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

State agency operations are not easily informed with the latest private sector best practices, developments, or innovations.  Chapter 490A of the Government Code created the Texas Entrepreneurship Network, but it is designed to foster entrepreneurs in the private sector, not transfer their expertise to the public sector. A new mechanism is needed to enable and encourage the transfer of state-of-the-art knowledge from the private sector to the public sector and to provide a readily available private sector perspective to agency heads.

 

The private sector has a highly successful program called Entrepreneur in Residence.  A successful business person, typically but not necessarily from the technology industry, is placed where he or she can share his or her knowledge with an entity needing that knowledge. This concept has been adopted by some federal agencies as well, including the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

 

S.B. 328 authorizes state agencies to use existing full-time equivalent employee slots to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence or contract with a chamber of commerce or nonprofit entity to improve outreach by state government to the private sector, including historically underutilized businesses; strengthen coordination and interaction between state government and the private sector; facilitate the understanding and use of technological advances to make state government more transparent and interactive; and implement the best private sector practices to make state government programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient, and more responsive to users.

 

S.B. 328 amends current law relating to entrepreneurs-in-residence at state agencies.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 651, Government Code, by adding Section 651.010, as follows:

 

Sec. 651.010.  ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE.  (a)  Defines "state agency" in this section.

 

(b)  Authorizes a state agency, from available funds, to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence or contract with an individual, chamber of commerce, or nonprofit entity to:

 

(1)  improve outreach by state government to the private sector, including historically underutilized businesses;

 

(2)  strengthen coordination and interaction between state government and the private sector;

 

(3)  facilitate the understanding and use of technological advances to make state government more transparent and interactive; and

 

(4)  implement the best private sector practices to make state government programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient, and more responsive to users.

 

(c)  Requires that an individual hired or contracted with under this section be successful in the individual's field.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2013.