Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5352 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R6316 PRL-F
2	2	By: Bucy H.B. No. 5352
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the State Blockchain Technology
10	10	Pilot Program by the Department of Information Resources.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 2054, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subchapter T to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER T. STATE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM
15	15	Sec. 2054.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	16	(1) "Blockchain" means a distributed ledger
17	17	technology that records transactions in a verifiable and immutable
18	18	manner, shared across multiple nodes in a network, ensuring
19	19	transparency and security.
20	20	(2) "Program" means the State Blockchain Technology
21	21	Pilot Program established under Section 2054.702.
22	22	(3) "Program participant" means the state agency
23	23	selected by the governor to participate in the program under
24	24	Section 2054.703.
25	25	Sec. 2054.702. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. (a) The board
26	26	shall establish a pilot program to explore the application and
27	27	benefits of the use of blockchain technology by the program
28	28	participant for the purpose of improving transparency, security,
29	29	and efficiency in government operations.
30	30	(b) The program shall study the use of blockchain by the
31	31	program participant:
32	32	(1) to streamline the secure storage and retrieval of
33	33	records and documents;
34	34	(2) to improve the transparency of procurement
35	35	processes and tracking of goods or services utilized by the program
36	36	participant;
37	37	(3) to test secure methods for identity verification
38	38	of:
39	39	(A) employees of the program participant;
40	40	(B) contractors of the program participant; and
41	41	(C) citizens that interact with the program
42	42	participant;
43	43	(4) to enhance mechanisms for fraud detection and
44	44	prevention; and
45	45	(5) for any other application to improve public
46	46	services or administrative efficiency, as determined by the program
47	47	participant, the governor, or the department.
48	48	(c) In administering the program, the department shall
49	49	ensure compliance with cybersecurity and privacy measures.
50	50	Sec. 2054.703. SELECTION OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANT. (a) The
51	51	governor shall select a state agency to serve as the program
52	52	participant.
53	53	(b) The board shall provide the governor with
54	54	recommendations on the selection of the program participant based
55	55	on:
56	56	(1) the feasibility of implementing the program by the
57	57	program participant;
58	58	(2) the budget appropriated by the legislature to the
59	59	department for the program;
60	60	(3) the anticipated disruption to existing services of
61	61	the program participant;
62	62	(4) the anticipated efficacy of the program on
63	63	existing services of the program participant; and
64	64	(5) cybersecurity and confidentiality concerns.
65	65	Sec. 2054.704. REPORT. (a) Not later than January 1, 2029,
66	66	the department shall submit to the governor, lieutenant governor,
67	67	and members of the legislature a report documenting the outcomes of
68	68	the program. The report must include:
69	69	(1) an evaluation of the benefits and challenges of
70	70	implementing blockchain technology in the program participant's
71	71	operations;
72	72	(2) an assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the
73	73	blockchain solution compared to existing systems of the program
74	74	participant;
75	75	(3) a determination of feasibility on whether
76	76	blockchain should be expanded to other state agencies or
77	77	operations; and
78	78	(4) any identified risks, security concerns, or
79	79	regulatory barriers encountered during the program.
80	80	(b) The department may contract with a private entity to
81	81	prepare the report required under this section.
82	82	Sec. 2054.705. COLLABORATION. (a) For the purposes of
83	83	satisfying the requirements of Section 2054.702, the department
84	84	shall collaborate with a state university that operates:
85	85	(1) a statewide technology center for data established
86	86	under Section 2054.382; and
87	87	(2) a regional network security center established
88	88	under Section 2059.202.
89	89	(b) The department may collaborate or contract with private
90	90	technology firms or consultants for technical expertise or
91	91	assistance in implementing the program.
92	92	Sec. 2054.706. FUNDING. (a) Funding for the program
93	93	consists of:
94	94	(1) money appropriated by the legislature for the
95	95	purposes of the program;
96	96	(2) gifts, grants, and donations received under
97	97	Subsection (c); and
98	98	(3) any other money available for the purposes of the
99	99	program.
100	100	(b) If the amount available under Subsection (a) is less
101	101	than the costs to administer the program, the governor and the
102	102	Legislative Budget Board may transfer or repurpose money under a
103	103	proposal under Chapter 317 to provide additional funding to
104	104	administer the program.
105	105	(c) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
106	106	donations from any public or private source.
107	107	(d) Not later than January 1, 2029, the department shall
108	108	transfer all unspent funds to the general revenue fund.
109	109	Sec. 2054.707. RULES. The department shall adopt rules
110	110	necessary to administer the pilot program.
111	111	Sec. 2054.708. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires
112	112	September 1, 2029.
113	113	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2025, the
114	114	Department of Information Resources shall adopt rules necessary to
115	115	implement and administer the State Blockchain Technology Pilot
116	116	Program established under Section 2054.702, Government Code, as
117	117	added by this Act.
118	118	(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
119	119	Act, the Department of Information Resources shall prepare and
120	120	submit the list of recommended state agencies required by Section
121	121	2054.703, Government Code, as added by this Act.
122	122	(c) Not later than 15 business days after receiving the list
123	123	of recommended state agencies, the governor shall select a state
124	124	agency to participate in the State Blockchain Technology Pilot
125	125	Program as required by Section 2054.703, Government Code, as added
126	126	by this Act.
127	127	SECTION 3. It is the intent of the legislature that every
128	128	provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word
129	129	in this Act, and every application of the provisions in this Act to
130	130	every person, group of persons, or circumstances, is severable from
131	131	each other. If any application of any provision in this Act to any
132	132	person, group of persons, or circumstances is found by a court to be
133	133	invalid for any reason, the remaining applications of that
134	134	provision to all other persons and circumstances shall be severed
135	135	and may not be affected.
136	136	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
137	137	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
138	138	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
139	139	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
140	140	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.