By: Gallego (Senate Sponsor - Watson) H.B. No. 2439
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2011;
May 11, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
Government Organization; May 23, 2011, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6,
Nays 0; May 23, 2011, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2439 By: Hegar
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to posting suggestions and ideas on cost-efficiency and
certain budget documents on certain state agency websites.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
amended by adding Sections 2054.1265 and 2054.1266 to read as
follows:
Sec. 2054.1265. POSTING OF COST-EFFICIENCY SUGGESTIONS AND
IDEAS ON STATE AGENCY WEBSITE. (a) In this section, "state
agency" does not include an institution of higher education, as
defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), each state agency
that has 1,500 or more employees shall post on the agency's intranet
website or generally accessible Internet website an electronic form
or link allowing an employee of the agency to submit suggestions and
ideas on how to make the agency more cost-efficient.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), each state agency
shall post on the agency's generally accessible Internet website a
link allowing members of the public to:
(1) monitor, in real time or on a weekly or monthly
basis, submissions made under Subsection (b); and
(2) vote for the public's favorite submission.
(d) The department may exclude from the requirements of this
section a state agency if the agency has a preexisting program or
link that the department determines substantially meets the
requirements of this section.
(e) The department shall adopt rules establishing
procedures and required formats for implementing this section.
Sec. 2054.1266. POSTING HIGH-VALUE DATA SETS ON INTERNET.
(a) In this section:
(1) "High-value data set" means information that can
be used to increase state agency accountability and responsiveness,
improve public knowledge of the agency and its operations, further
the core mission of the agency, create economic opportunity, or
respond to need and demand as identified through public
consultation. The term does not include information that is
confidential or protected from disclosure under state or federal
law.
(2) "State agency" means a board, commission, office,
department, or other agency in the executive, judicial, or
legislative branch of state government. The term includes an
institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
Education Code.
(b) Each state agency shall post on a generally accessible
Internet website maintained by or for the agency each high-value
data set created or maintained by the agency, if the agency:
(1) determines that, using existing resources, the
agency can post the data set on the Internet website at no
additional cost to the state;
(2) enters into a contract advantageous to the state
under which the contractor posts the data set on the Internet
website at no additional cost to the state; or
(3) receives a gift or grant specifically for the
purpose of posting one or more of the agency's high-value data sets
on the Internet website.
(c) A high-value data set posted by a state agency under
this section must be raw data in open standard format that allows
the public to search, extract, organize, and analyze the
information.
(d) The web page on which a state agency's high-value data
set is posted must:
(1) use the agency's Internet website home page
address and include the uniform resource locator suffix "data"; and
(2) have a conspicuously displayed link on either the
agency's Internet website home page or another intuitive location
accessible from the agency's Internet website home page.
(e) A state agency may accept a gift or grant for the purpose
of posting one or more of the agency's high-value data sets on an
Internet website.
SECTION 2. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 322.0081 to read as follows:
Sec. 322.0081. BUDGET DOCUMENTS ONLINE. (a) In order to
assist members of the public in posting cost-efficiency suggestions
and ideas, the board shall post on the board's Internet website all
documents prepared by the board that are provided to a committee,
subcommittee, or conference committee of either house of the
legislature in connection with an appropriations bill.
(b) The board shall post a document to which this section
applies as soon as practicable after the document is provided to a
committee, subcommittee, or conference committee.
(c) The document must be downloadable and provide data in an
open standard format that allows the public to search, extract,
organize, and analyze the information in the document.
SECTION 3. Section 322.0081, Government Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to documents provided to a committee,
subcommittee, or conference committee on or after October 1, 2011.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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