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 creates 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 (FTE) employee slots to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR).  The EIR, who reports to the agency head, is charged with improving outreach by state government to the private sector; strengthening coordination and interaction between state government and the private sector; facilitating the understanding and use of technological advances to make state government more transparent and interactive; and implementing the best private sector practices to make state government programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient, and more responsive to users.

 

As proposed, S.B. 328 amends current law relating to the hiring of entrepreneurs-in-residence by 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 to:

 

(1)  improve outreach by state government to the private sector;

 

(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 under this section be successful in the individual's field.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2013.