Honorable Byron Cook, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3688 by Naishtat (Relating to the purchase of computer equipment by the Department of Information Resources.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Subchapter B, Chapter 2157, Government Code, relating to the purchase of information technology (IT) commodity items to require that the Department of Information Resources (DIR) ensure that the purchase of computer equipment meet standards at least as stringent as those necessary to achieve certain registrations under the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) operated by the Green Electronics Council. The EPEAT registration standards and timeframes for computer equipment purchases included in the bill specify that (1) on or after September 1, 2014, 75 percent of purchases meet standards necessary to achieve a bronze registration; (2) on or after September 1, 2015, 85 percent of purchases meet standards necessary to achieve a silver registration; and (3) on or after September 1, 2015, 95 percent of purchases meet standards necessary to achieve a gold registration.
It is assumed that the purchasing requirements of the bill would apply only to purchases by state agencies which are required to purchase IT commodity items through DIR's cooperative contracts program under Subchapter B and would not apply to voluntary customers (institutions of higher education, local political subdivisions, and certain nonprofit organizations). DIR estimates there would be a cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill. It is anticipated that the cost could be absorbed within existing resources. Based on the analysis of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Department of Public Safety, Department of State Health Services and the Department of Transportation, no significant fiscal impact is anticipated in the purchasing of EPEAT registered products. All but one of these agencies indicate that most purchases or leases of computer equipment already meet EPEAT gold registration standard.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
306 Library & Archives Commission, 313 Department of Information Resources, 405 Department of Public Safety, 537 State Health Services, Department of, 601 Department of Transportation