By: Herrero, Cortez, Alvarado H.B. No. 1128
(Senate Sponsor - Garcia)
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2013;
April 29, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on
Government Organization; May 16, 2013, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5,
Nays 0; May 16, 2013, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1128 By: Garcia
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to posting suggestions and ideas on cost-efficiency 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 Section 2054.1264 to read as follows:
Sec. 2054.1264. 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) and to the extent
possible using available resources, 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. The system for
submitting suggestions and ideas must allow an employee to elect to
submit a suggestion or idea that includes the employee's name or to
submit an anonymous suggestion or idea. If an employee elects to
submit anonymously, the suggestion or idea may not be traceable to
the employee and the system for anonymous submission may not record
data linking the suggestion or idea to the computer used for the
submission.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), each state agency
that posts a form or link as provided by Subsection (b) 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, monthly, or
quarterly 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. The
rules adopted under this subsection must require that submissions
under Subsection (b) and votes under Subsection (c) be moderated to
exclude overtly political or offensive material.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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