Texas House Bill HB3780

Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Caption

Relating to the establishment of a state secondary Internet website domain name server.

Impact

The bill broadens the scope of governance over digital resources by establishing a state-managed domain name server, which effectively centralizes part of the internet management framework within Texas. Although the bill emphasizes the role of higher education institutions in its implementation, it grants considerable operational authority to the governor. This could lead to gray areas regarding oversight and accountability, particularly about how the server is managed and who is held responsible for its operations.

Summary

House Bill 3780 aims to establish a secondary Internet website domain name server within the state of Texas. This secondary server is intended to serve as a directory of website domain names and their corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, enabling users to access websites through their domain names effectively. The responsibility for developing and constructing this server will be placed on a selected department or entity of an institution of higher education, as defined by Texas education law. The transition to a secondary server represents a significant move to enhance Texas's digital infrastructure.

Contention

One notable point of contention revolves around the governor's discretion regarding the deployment and management of the domain name server. Critics may argue that centralizing such a function under the governor's office could pose risks of politicizing internet infrastructure, which should ideally remain neutral and stable. Moreover, there could be concerns over data privacy and security, given that government-operated servers may attract scrutiny regarding their management of user data and domain registrations.