BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 498

By: Johnson

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Statewide technology centers operated by the Department of Information Resources (DIR) currently provide invaluable information resources technology services to governmental entities in Texas, which allows these organizations to focus more time and resources on serving Texans. These services include data center services, managed security services, the website Texas.gov, and an open data portal.

Currently, the statewide technology centers are limited in what services they can provide due to the requirement in state law that services be provided to two or more governmental entities. This prevents a statewide technology center from providing support to major Texas agencies if their needs are unique. S.B. 498 seeks to eliminates this requirement and allow DIR to provide services to any number of governmental entities through a statewide technology center. Moreover, the bill seeks to ensure that DIR can use its expertise in technology services to determine what services will be provided through a statewide technology center.

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 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 498 amends the Government Code to remove the language conditioning the authority of the Department of Information Resources (DIR) to provide a particular service to a governmental entity through a statewide technology center on that service being provided to two or more governmental entities. The bill requires DIR by rule to specify the services a statewide technology center may provide.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.