BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3275

By: Capriglione

Government Transparency & Operation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that state spending on major information resources projects lacks the appropriate oversight. H.B. 3275 seeks to provide such oversight by requiring the quality assurance team established under the Information Resources Management Act to monitor these projects and to provide additional information regarding the status and performance of the projects in the team's annual report.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Information Resources in SECTION 2 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3275 amends the Government Code to require the quality assurance team established under the Information Resources Management Act to monitor and report on performance indicators for each major information resources project, including schedule, cost, scope, and quality, for the project's entire life cycle. The bill requires the Department of Information Resources (DIR) by rule to develop the performance indicators the team is required to monitor for such projects and requires DIR to consider applicable information technology industry standards in adopting those rules. The bill requires the team to place a major information resources project the team determines is not likely to achieve the project's performance objectives on a list for more intense monitoring by the team.

H.B. 3275 requires the team to closely monitor monthly reports for each major information resources project identified as needing more intense monitoring and, based on criteria developed by DIR, to determine whether to recommend to DIR's executive director the need to initiate corrective action for the project. The bill requires DIR to create and maintain on the DIR website a user-friendly data visualization tool that provides an analysis and visual representation of the developed performance indicators for each major information resources project. The bill requires DIR to adopt rules to implement the bill's provisions regarding major information resources project monitoring not later than December 1, 2017.

H.B. 3275 requires the team's annual report on major information resources projects to include the current status of each major information resources project and information regarding the developed performance indicators for each major information resource project at each stage of the project's life cycle.

EFFECTIVE DATE

January 1, 2018.