BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

S.B. 328

By: Carona

Economic & Small Business Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

State agencies typically are not easily informed on the newest best practices, developments, and innovations of the private sector. The Texas Entrepreneurship Network was established to develop and diversify the economy of Texas and to foster entrepreneurs in the private sector. That network, however, does not transfer any expertise or knowledge 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 an accessible private sector perspective for the leaders of state agencies.

 

Many private businesses engage in very successful entrepreneur-in-residence programs. These programs typically involve a successful business person, possibly from the technology industry, being placed where the individual can share knowledge with a business in need of that information. Some federal agencies have successfully adopted this type of program.

 

S.B. 328 seeks to authorize an entrepreneur-in-residence program for state agencies in Texas.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

S.B. 328 amends the Government Code to authorize a state agency to hire from available funds an entrepreneur-in-residence or to contract with an individual, chamber of commerce, or nonprofit entity to do the following: 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. The bill requires such an individual hired or contracted for those purposes to be successful in the individual's field.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2013.