HBA-ALS H.B. 1657 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1657
By: Maxey
State Affairs
3/1/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, some state agencies are not required to provide information in a
specific format.  There are no mandates that an agency's rules, procedures,
forms, and other public service be available online.  The purpose of this
bill is to improve governmental efficiency, make governmental information
more easily accessible to the public, and reduce consumption of paper
through the use of the Internet.  

H.B. 1657 requires state agencies to make certain explanatory information
related to the agency available through a generally accessible Internet
site. This bill requires that a state agency develop, in its strategic
plan, a scheme for receiving forms and payments from the public or
regulated individuals, and provides guidelines for implementing such a
plan. H.B. 1657 also requires a state agency to maintain a generally
accessible Internet site that is easily located through electronic means
and is linked to other specified sites. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 2001, Government Code, by adding
Section 2001.006, as follows: 

Sec.  2001.006.  CERTAIN EXPLANATORY INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH
INTERNET.  Requires a state agency to make its rules and each written
letter, opinion, or other statement explaining or interpreting its rules,
available through a generally accessible Internet site.  Authorizes a state
agency to comply with this section through the actions of another state
agency acting on the agency's behalf, such as the secretary of state. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 2054.096, Government Code, as follows:

Sec. 2054.096.  CONTENT OF AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN.  Provides that if a state
agency receives information or payment of money from the public or
regulated individuals by way of a form, the agency's strategic plan must
include a plan for receiving the forms or payments through the Internet.
Requires this portion of the plan to be developed with the assistance of
the Department of Information Resources (department).  Provides that the
plan must include appropriate security measures approved by the department
and performance measures that allow the department and legislature to
evaluate the agency's progress in implementing the plan, and must specify
when the agency will fully implement the plan. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Subchapter F, Chapter 2054, Government Code, by adding
Section 2054.121, as follows: 

Sec. 2054.121.  LINKING AND INDEXING INTERNET SITES.  Requires all state
agencies maintaining a generally accessible Internet site to cooperate in
facilitating useful electronic links among the sites.  Requires state
agencies to attempt to link their sites to different sites  from which
persons are expected to need information concurrently.  Requires a state
agency to establish a site that is easily located through electronic means.
Requires the department to assist with an agency's compliance of this
section. 

SECTION 4.  Requires each state agency to phase in the requirement of
making information available on the Internet in the most cost-effective
manner and in accordance with available appropriations. 

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.