| 6 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 7 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1557 3 |
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| 8 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 9 | 7 | | By: Representative R. Scott Richardson 5 |
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| 10 | 8 | | By: Senator J. Bryant 6 |
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| 11 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 12 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 13 | 11 | | AN ACT TO AMEND THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE DIVISION 9 |
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| 14 | 12 | | OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCERNING INFORMATION 10 |
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| 15 | 13 | | TECHNOLOGY; TO AMEND THE DEFINITIONS UNDER THE 11 |
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| 16 | 14 | | ARKANSAS CODE RELATED TO THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION 12 |
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| 17 | 15 | | SYSTEMS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13 |
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| 18 | 16 | | 14 |
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| 19 | 17 | | 15 |
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| 20 | 18 | | Subtitle 16 |
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| 21 | 19 | | TO AMEND THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE 17 |
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| 22 | 20 | | DIVISION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS 18 |
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| 23 | 21 | | CONCERNING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. 19 |
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| 24 | 22 | | 20 |
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| 25 | 23 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21 |
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| 26 | 24 | | 22 |
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| 27 | 25 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 25 -4-103(6), concerning the definition of 23 |
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| 28 | 26 | | "information technology" as it applies to the Division of Information 24 |
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| 29 | 27 | | Systems, is amended to read as follows: 25 |
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| 30 | 28 | | (6) “Information technology” means any component related to 26 |
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| 31 | 29 | | information processing and wired and wireless telecommunications, including 27 |
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| 32 | 30 | | data processing and telecommunications hardware, software, services, 28 |
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| 33 | 31 | | planning, personnel, facilities, and training the use, development, 29 |
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| 34 | 32 | | management, and application of computer systems, networks, and electronic 30 |
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| 35 | 33 | | data processing to collect, store, process, transmit, retrieve, and secure 31 |
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| 36 | 34 | | information and includes without limitation: 32 |
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| 37 | 35 | | (1) Hardware; 33 |
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| 38 | 36 | | (2) Software; 34 |
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| 39 | 37 | | (3) Networking and telecommunications; 35 |
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| 45 | 41 | | (5) Cybersecurity; 1 |
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| 46 | 42 | | (6) Privacy; 2 |
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| 47 | 43 | | (7) Third-party hosting; and 3 |
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| 48 | 44 | | (8) Emerging technology ; 4 |
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| 49 | 45 | | 5 |
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| 50 | 46 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 25-4-105(a)(2)(R), concerning the 6 |
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| 51 | 47 | | development of a state information technology plan by the Division of 7 |
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| 52 | 48 | | Information Systems, is amended to read as follows: 8 |
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| 53 | 49 | | (R) Developing a state information technology plan that 9 |
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| 54 | 50 | | shall establish a state -level mission, goals, and objectives for the use of 10 |
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| 55 | 51 | | information technology Developing, implementing, and maintaining a unified 11 |
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| 57 | 53 | | information technology plans developed by each state agency that includes: 13 |
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| 58 | 54 | | (i) A statewide disaster recovery plan that 14 |
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| 59 | 55 | | identifies risks in each budget unit and directs state agencies to adopt risk 15 |
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| 60 | 56 | | mitigation strategies, methods, and procedures to minimize risks; 16 |
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| 61 | 57 | | (ii) A list of approved state agency projects by 17 |
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| 62 | 58 | | category; 18 |
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| 63 | 59 | | (iii) A detailed list of information technology 19 |
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| 64 | 60 | | assets that are owned, leased, or employed by the state; and 20 |
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| 65 | 61 | | (iv) Detailed budget information for each state 21 |
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| 66 | 62 | | agency's approved technology plan ; 22 |
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| 67 | 63 | | 23 |
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| 68 | 64 | | SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 25, Chapter 4, is amended to add an 24 |
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| 69 | 65 | | additional section to read as follows: 25 |
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| 70 | 66 | | 25-4-130. Statewide information technology — Duties and powers. 26 |
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| 71 | 67 | | (a) In addition to the duties under § 25 -4-105, the Division of 27 |
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| 72 | 68 | | Information Systems shall: 28 |
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| 73 | 69 | | (1) Administer the state's information technology; 29 |
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| 74 | 70 | | (2) Provide statewide project management for any information 30 |
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| 75 | 71 | | technology projects, including without limitation procedures for the: 31 |
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| 76 | 72 | | (A) Assessment of viability, operational efficiencies, and 32 |
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| 77 | 73 | | cost-benefit analysis of a proposed project; 33 |
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| 78 | 74 | | (B) Determination of whether a joint project or system is 34 |
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| 79 | 75 | | appropriate, including without limitation: 35 |
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| 85 | 79 | | projects that aim to eliminate duplicative and overlapping services and 1 |
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| 86 | 80 | | maximize information technology cost savings; and 2 |
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| 87 | 81 | | (ii) Publication to each state agency of an annual 3 |
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| 88 | 82 | | priority standards list that each project will be evaluated against for 4 |
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| 89 | 83 | | approval; 5 |
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| 90 | 84 | | (3)(A) Establish and enforce statewide minimum mandatory 6 |
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| 91 | 85 | | standards for information technology that apply to all state agencies, 7 |
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| 92 | 86 | | including without limitation executive departments. 8 |
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| 93 | 87 | | (B) The standards of a state agency may be more stringent 9 |
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| 94 | 88 | | than the statewide minimum standards, but in no case less than the minimum 10 |
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| 95 | 89 | | standards. 11 |
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| 96 | 90 | | (C) When federal standards apply that are stricter than 12 |
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| 97 | 91 | | statewide minimum standards, the federal standards shall apply; 13 |
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| 98 | 92 | | (4) Develop performance reporting guidelines and requirements 14 |
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| 99 | 93 | | for information technology systems and conduct an annual review to compare 15 |
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| 100 | 94 | | state agency plans and budgets with results and expenditures; 16 |
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| 101 | 95 | | (5) Establish a centralized information technology governance 17 |
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| 102 | 96 | | model to provide uniformity and procurement oversight for information 18 |
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| 103 | 97 | | technology across state agencies, including without limitation: 19 |
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| 104 | 98 | | (A) Defining clear roles, responsibilities, and decision -20 |
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| 105 | 99 | | making authority at the state and department levels; 21 |
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| 106 | 100 | | (B) Creation of an information technology governance team 22 |
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| 107 | 101 | | to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively; 23 |
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| 108 | 102 | | (C) Identifying areas for cost reduction by eliminating 24 |
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| 109 | 103 | | duplication of efforts and procurement of information technology; and 25 |
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| 110 | 104 | | (D) Increasing the state's purchasing power by negotiating 26 |
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| 111 | 105 | | enterprise pricing for information technology; and 27 |
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| 112 | 106 | | (6) Provide a report on the statewide information technology 28 |
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| 113 | 107 | | plan and projects annually to the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications 29 |
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| 114 | 108 | | and Information Technology that includes without limitation: 30 |
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| 115 | 109 | | (A) Overall metrics for system performance costs; 31 |
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| 116 | 110 | | (B) A comparison of expected costs to actual costs after 32 |
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| 117 | 111 | | project completion; 33 |
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| 118 | 112 | | (C) User satisfaction analysis; and 34 |
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| 119 | 113 | | (D) A project approval matrix for the next following 35 |
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| 126 | | - | (1) Use state, federal, or public grant funds for or enter into 2 |
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| 127 | | - | any agreement for the acquisition, development, or enhancement of any 3 |
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| 128 | | - | information technology or any contract for information technology services 4 |
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| 129 | | - | without approval from the Director of the Division of Information Systems 5 |
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| 130 | | - | unless: 6 |
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| 131 | | - | (A) The purchase price of the product or service is less 7 |
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| 132 | | - | than or equal to five thousand dollars ($5,000) and the product is included 8 |
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| 133 | | - | on an approved information technology list maintained by the division; or 9 |
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| 134 | | - | (B) The purchase price of the product or service is more 10 |
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| 135 | | - | than five thousand dollars ($5,000) but less than or equal to twenty thousand 11 |
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| 136 | | - | dollars ($20,000), the product is listed on a statewide contract, and the 12 |
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| 137 | | - | product is included on an approved information technology list maintained by 13 |
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| 138 | | - | the division; or 14 |
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| 139 | | - | (2) Develop or enter into a contract for the development of 15 |
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| 140 | | - | customized software or information technology systems without written 16 |
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| 141 | | - | authorization by the director. 17 |
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| 118 | + | (1) Use state funds for or enter into any agreement for the 2 |
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| 119 | + | acquisition, development, or enhancement of any information technology or any 3 |
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| 120 | + | contract for information technology services without approval from the 4 |
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| 121 | + | Director of the Division of Information Systems unless: 5 |
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| 122 | + | (A) The purchase price of the product or service is less 6 |
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| 123 | + | than or equal to five thousand dollars ($5,000) and the product is included 7 |
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| 124 | + | on an approved information technology list maintained by the division; or 8 |
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| 125 | + | (B) The purchase price of the product or service is more 9 |
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| 126 | + | than five thousand dollars ($5,000) but less than or equal to twenty thousand 10 |
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| 127 | + | dollars ($20,000), the product is listed on a statewide contract, and the 11 |
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| 128 | + | product is included on an approved information technology list maintained by 12 |
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| 129 | + | the division; or 13 |
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| 130 | + | (2) Develop or enter into a contract for the development of 14 |
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| 131 | + | customized information technology without written authorization by the 15 |
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| 132 | + | director. 16 |
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| 133 | + | 17 |
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