81R4906 JRD-D
By: Strama H.B. No. 2017
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to conducting a study to improve transparency in the
state's budgeting process and electronic access to information
about the state budget.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The governor and the Legislative
Budget Board jointly shall lead a collaborative study concerning
improved transparency in the state's budgeting process and improved
electronic access to information about the state budget.
(b) In addition to the governor and the Legislative Budget
Board, the following state officers, agencies, and institutions
each shall designate one or more appropriate representatives to
participate in the study as a member of a study team:
(1) the comptroller;
(2) the Department of Information Resources;
(3) the Texas Legislative Council;
(4) the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs;
and
(5) any other state officer, agency, or institution
invited by the governor or the Legislative Budget Board to
participate in the study.
(c) The study team must generally address improving
transparency and electronic access to information in connection
with the process of developing the state's budget, the writing and
consideration by the legislature of the general appropriations
bill, and the expenditure of appropriated funds by the agencies and
institutions of state government. In particular, the study team
must address:
(1) how to better provide to members of the public and
decision-makers information and analysis about all types of state
budgetary information, with an emphasis on providing useful
information and analysis about the 25 state programs that account
for the greatest amount of state expenditures;
(2) how to better provide members of the legislature,
legislative staff, state agencies, members of the press, and
members of the public timely electronic access in an open standards
format to proposed riders, proposed line-item appropriations, and
reports concerning the general appropriations bill throughout any
session of the legislature in which the general appropriations bill
is being considered for adoption; and
(3) any enhancements and additions to information
technologies employed by the legislative and executive branches of
state government that would be necessary to improve access and
transparency in the manner recommended by the team.
(d) The comptroller and the Legislative Budget Board shall
develop cost estimates for the study team's recommendations.
(e) The governor and the Legislative Budget Board shall
report the results of the study, including the study team's
recommendations and the comptroller's and Legislative Budget
Board's cost estimates for the recommendations, to the lieutenant
governor and each member of the legislature by June 1, 2010.
SECTION 2. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2011.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
1, 2009.