BILL REQ. #:  S-1381.1 

Read first time 02/13/13.   Referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to standards and policies governing information technology; and amending RCW 43.41A.025.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 43.41A.025 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 706 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The chief information officer shall establish standards and policies to govern information technology in the state of Washington.
     (2) The office shall have the following powers and duties related to information services:
     (a) To develop statewide standards and policies governing the acquisition and disposition of equipment, software, and personal and purchased services, licensing of the radio spectrum by or on behalf of state agencies, and confidentiality of computerized data;
     (b) To develop statewide or interagency technical policies, standards, and procedures;
     (c) To review and approve standards and common specifications for new or expanded telecommunications networks proposed by agencies, public postsecondary education institutions, educational service districts, or statewide or regional providers of K-12 information technology services;
     (d) To develop a detailed business plan for any service or activity to be contracted under RCW 41.06.142(7)(b) by the consolidated technology services agency;
     (e) To provide direction concerning strategic planning goals and objectives for the state. The office shall seek input from the legislature and the judiciary; ((and))
     (f) To develop standards based on leading usability practices that enable agencies to produce clear, consistent, and usable web content. Standards should include requirements such as:
     (i) A prominent, consistently labeled link to business regulations and information on the agency home page;
     (ii) Clear pathways within a minimum number of clicks from the home page to specific license and permit applications;
     (iii) Periodic usability testing by business customers to verify web sites are complete and easy to use; and
     (iv) Measuring the results of web site revisions to ensure they produce the intended results; and
     (g) To establish policies for the periodic review by the office of agency performance which may include but are not limited to analysis of:
     (i) Planning, management, control, and use of information services;
     (ii) Training and education; and
     (iii) Project management.
     (3) Statewide technical standards to promote and facilitate electronic information sharing and access are an essential component of acceptable and reliable public access service and complement content-related standards designed to meet those goals. The office shall:
     (a) Establish technical standards to facilitate electronic access to government information and interoperability of information systems, including wireless communications systems; and
     (b) Require agencies to include an evaluation of electronic public access needs when planning new information systems or major upgrades of systems.
     In developing these standards, the office is encouraged to include the state library, state archives, and appropriate representatives of state and local government.
     (4) The office shall perform other matters and things necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter.