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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to improving communication with and service delivery by |
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state agencies. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 2054.069 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2054.069. TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FUND. (a) The |
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technology innovation fund is a special fund in the state treasury |
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outside the general revenue fund to be administered by the |
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department under this section. The fund consists of legislative |
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appropriations and other money transferred or credited to the fund |
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by the legislature. |
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(b) Money in the fund may be spent only to: |
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(1) provide grants to state agencies for improving |
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government communication with and service delivery to the public; |
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and |
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(2) pay the department's administrative expenses for |
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providing grants under Subdivision (1) and other administrative |
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expenses as authorized under Subsection (g). |
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(c) The department shall establish specific criteria for a |
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state agency to receive a grant from the fund under this section. |
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(d) The department shall award grants under this section to |
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state agencies that submit proposals resulting in: |
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(1) the greatest improvement in efficiency to the |
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state agency's contact center; or |
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(2) increased service delivery to the public. |
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(e) The department shall prioritize grant awards for state |
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agency proposals providing an immediate, quantifiable benefit to |
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service delivery to the public measured by whether the proposal: |
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(1) reduces the time a state agency takes to |
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communicate information; |
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(2) streamlines and reduces the administrative burden |
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to processing requests; and |
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(3) achieves cost savings for the public. |
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(f) The department shall require a state agency awarded a |
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grant under this section to pay a portion of the total cost of |
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implementing the state agency's proposal. |
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(g) A state agency, including the department, that incurs |
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administrative expenses in the implementation of a remediation plan |
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under Section 2054.137 may receive compensation for those expenses |
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from the technology innovation fund. |
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(h) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 2054.137 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 2054.137. CONTACT CENTERS. (a) The department shall |
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by rule define "contact center." In defining the term, the |
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department shall consider: |
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(1) services provided by a state agency through a |
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contact center and whether the state agency provides those services |
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through state employees or contracted vendors; |
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(2) the establishment of a threshold for call volume |
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to determine whether a state agency is providing contact center |
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services; and |
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(3) the use of innovative technologies to assist in |
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customer interactions, including e-mail, callback technology, live |
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Internet chat, and virtual assistant or conversational assistant |
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technology. |
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(b) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, a |
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state agency that provides contact center services shall report on |
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the performance of the contact center to the department. The |
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department may require the report to include: |
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(1) service level; |
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(2) wait time; |
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(3) abandonment rate; |
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(4) accuracy of call forecasting; |
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(5) call duration; |
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(6) call wrap-up time; |
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(7) employee attrition; and |
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(8) any other performance measures as determined by |
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the department. |
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(c) The department by rule shall establish minimum |
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standards for performance of a state agency's contact center. |
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(d) A state agency that fails to meet the standards adopted |
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under Subsection (c) for the agency's most recent reporting period |
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shall, in coordination with the department or a vendor with whom the |
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department contracts, establish a remediation plan to improve |
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contact center performance. The remediation plan must: |
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(1) be based on best practices for contact center |
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design and management; |
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(2) include potential solutions to address |
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inefficiencies in the use of personnel and technology; and |
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(3) include an estimated timeline to remediate the |
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identified concerns. |
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(e) A state agency that provides contact center services and |
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does not properly track hold times or other performance measures as |
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required by the department shall establish a remediation plan in |
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accordance with Subsection (d). |
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(f) The department shall determine the frequency with which |
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a state agency with habitually poor contact center performance must |
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establish a remediation plan. |
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(g) The department, in coordination with each state agency |
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that establishes a remediation plan under this section, shall |
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submit a report to the legislature that includes the |
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accomplishments in state agencies' implementations of remediation |
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plans and additional steps to achieve performance targets related |
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to contact center performance. |
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SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Department |
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of Information Resources shall by rule define "contact center" as |
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required by Section 2054.137, Government Code, as added by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |