S.B. No. 757
 
AN ACT
relating to the planning and management of state telecommunications
services by the Department of Information Resources.
       BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
       SECTION 1.  Section 2054.051, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
       (g)  The department shall establish plans and policies for
the system of telecommunications services managed and operated by
the department.
       SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 2054.055, Government
Code, is amended to read as follows:
       (b)  The report must:
             (1)  assess the progress made toward meeting the goals
and objectives of the state strategic plan for information
resources management;
             (2)  describe major accomplishments of the state or a
specific state agency in information resources management;
             (3)  describe major problems in information resources
management confronting the state or a specific state agency;
             (4)  provide a summary of the total expenditures for
information resources and information resources technologies by
the state;
             (5)  make recommendations for improving the
effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the state's use of information
resources; [and]
             (6)  include a list compiled by the department's
program management office from the information gathered under
Sections 2055.152 and 2055.153 of the electronic government
projects:
                   (A)  that are managed by the office under Chapter
2055; and
                   (B)  that are not yet managed by the office under
Chapter 2055, but have been selected for management under Chapter
2055; and
             (7)  assess the progress made toward accomplishing the
goals of the plan for a state telecommunications network and
developing a system of telecommunications services as provided by
Subchapter H.
       SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 2054.092, Government
Code, is amended to read as follows:
       (b)  The plan must:
             (1)  provide a strategic direction for information
resources management in state government for the five fiscal years
following adoption of the plan;
             (2)  outline a state information architecture that
contains a logically consistent set of principles, policies, and
standards to guide the engineering of state government's
information technology systems and infrastructure in a way that
ensures compatibility and alignment with state government's needs;
             (3)  designate and report on critical electronic
government projects to be directed by the department, including a
project for electronic purchasing;
             (4)  provide information about best practices to assist
state agencies in adopting effective information management
methods, including the design, deployment, and management of
information resources projects, cost-benefit analyses, and staff
reengineering methods to take full advantage of technological
advancements;
             (5)  establish reporting guidelines for state agencies
to report in agency strategic plans:
                   (A)  the outcomes and progress related to the
strategic direction of the state;
                   (B)  information necessary to evaluate
opportunities for information technology consolidation;
                   (C)  progress toward implementing electronic
government projects designated under Subdivision (3);
                   (D)  the return on investment for projects and
cost-benefit models for the projects; and
                   (E)  other provisions in this section;
             (6)  provide long-range policy guidelines for
information resources in state government, including the
implementation of national, international, and department
standards for information resources technologies;
             (7)  identify major issues faced by state agencies
related to the acquisition of computer hardware, computer software,
and information resources technology services and develop a
statewide approach to address the issues, including:
                   (A)  developing performance measures for
purchasing and contracting; and
                   (B)  identifying opportunities to reuse computer
software code purchased with public funds; [and]
             (8)  identify priorities for:
                   (A)  the implementation of information resources
technologies according to the relative economic and social impact
on the state; and
                   (B)  return on investment and cost-benefit
analysis strategies; and
             (9)  provide information about best practices to assist
state agencies in adopting methods for design, deployment, and
management of telecommunications services.
       SECTION 4.  Subsections (a) through (d) and (g), Section
2054.203, Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
       (a)  The department [telecommunications planning and
oversight council] shall comprehensively collect and manage
telecommunications network configuration information about
existing and planned telecommunications networks throughout state
government.  The department shall provide the information collected
under this section to the telecommunications planning and oversight
council in a manner consistent with state and federal security
restrictions.
       (b)  The department [telecommunications planning and
oversight council] may require state agencies to submit to the
department [council] the agencies' network configuration
information, but the department [council] must use existing reports
to gather the information if possible and minimize the reporting
burden on agencies to the extent possible.
       (c)  The telecommunications planning and oversight council
in consultation with the department shall establish plans and
policies for a system of telecommunications services [to be managed
and operated by the department].
       (d)  The telecommunications planning and oversight council
in consultation with the department shall develop a statewide
telecommunications operating plan for all state agencies. The plan
shall implement a statewide network and include technical
specifications that are binding on the department.
       (g)  Strategic [The telecommunications planning and
oversight council shall perform strategic] planning for all state
telecommunications services shall be performed in accordance with
the guiding principles of the state strategic plan for information
resources management.
       SECTION 5.  Section 2054.204, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
       Sec. 2054.204.  [DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN FOR STATE]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN STATE STRATEGIC PLAN [NETWORK].  (a)  The
department shall consult with the telecommunications planning and
oversight council regarding telecommunications elements of the
plan under Section 2054.092.  The plan must address matters
relating to [shall develop a plan for] a state telecommunications
network that will effectively and efficiently meet the long-term
requirements of state government for voice, video, and computer
communications, with the goal of achieving a single centralized
telecommunications network for state government.
       (b)  The telecommunications elements of the plan under
Section 2054.092 must recognize that all state agencies, including
institutions of higher education, are a single entity for purposes
of purchasing and the determination of tariffs.
       (c)  The telecommunications elements of the plan under
Section 2054.092 must incorporate efficiencies obtained through
the use of shared transmission services and open systems
architecture as they become available, building on existing systems
as appropriate. In developing the plan under Section 2054.092, the
telecommunications planning and oversight council and the
department shall make use of the technical expertise of state
agencies, including institutions of higher education.
       SECTION 6.  Section 2054.205, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
       Sec. 2054.205.  DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM.  (a)  The
telecommunications planning and oversight council in consultation
with the department shall develop functional requirements for a
statewide system of telecommunications services for all state
agencies. Existing networks, as configured on September 1, 1991,
of institutions of higher education are exempt from the
requirements.
       (b)  The department in consultation with the
telecommunications planning and oversight council shall develop
requests for information and proposals for a statewide system of
telecommunications services for all state agencies.
       SECTION 7.  Subsections (a) and (b), Section 2054.2051,
Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
       (a)  The telecommunications planning and oversight council
in consultation with the department shall develop service
objectives for the consolidated telecommunications system and the
centralized capitol complex telephone system.
       (b)  The telecommunications planning and oversight council
in consultation with the department shall develop performance
measures to establish cost-effective operations and staffing of the
consolidated telecommunications system and the centralized capitol
complex telephone system.
       SECTION 8.  Section 2054.207, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
       Sec. 2054.207.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.  The department
shall consult with the telecommunications planning and oversight
council regarding information that must be included in the
performance report under Section 2054.055 [shall report biennially
to the legislature not later than October 1 of each even-numbered
year on the status of the current plan for a state
telecommunications network and on the progress state government has
made towards accomplishing the goals of the plan]. The report shall
address consolidated telecommunications system performance,
centralized capitol complex telephone system performance,
telecommunications system needs, and recommended statutory changes
to enhance system capability and cost-effectiveness.
       SECTION 9.  Section 2054.206, Government Code, is repealed.
       SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
____________________________________________________________
President of the Senate             Speaker of the House
       I hereby certify that S.B. No. 757 passed the Senate on
April 11, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.
______________________________ 
   Secretary of the Senate
       I hereby certify that S.B. No. 757 passed the House on
May 17, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 0, two
present not voting.
______________________________ 
   Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________ 
______________________________ 
            Date
______________________________ 
______________________________ 
          Governor