HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5194

                      As Passed House:

                        April 9, 1999

Title:  An act relating to information technology management in state government.

Brief Description:  Changing information technology management provisions.

Sponsors:  Senators Brown, Rossi, Fraser, Finkbeiner, Gardner and Winsley; by request of Department of Information Services.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Technology, Telecommunications & Energy:  3/23/99, 3/31/99 [DP];

Appropriations:  4/5/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  4/9/99, 93-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Requires state executive and judicial branches to develop information technology portfolios.

$Creates a mechanism for the Information Services Board to assist state executive and judicial branches to make new acquisitions of technology within the context of information technology portfolios.

CRemoves current limitation on the number of deputy and assistant directors the  Department of Information Services can have.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS & ENERGY

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Crouse, Republican Co-Chair; Poulsen, Democratic Co-Chair; DeBolt, Republican Vice Chair; Ruderman, Democratic Vice Chair; Bush; Cooper; Delvin; Kastama; McDonald; Mielke; Morris; Reardon; Thomas and Wolfe.

Staff:  Anntonette Alberti (786-7117).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 31 members:  Representatives Huff, Republican Co-Chair; H. Sommers, Democratic Co-Chair; Alexander, Republican Vice Chair; Doumit, Democratic Vice Chair; D. Schmidt, Republican Vice Chair; Barlean; Benson; Boldt; Carlson; Clements; Cody; Crouse; Gombosky; Grant; Kagi; Keiser; Kenney; Kessler; Lambert; Linville; Mastin; McIntire; McMorris; Mulliken; Parlette; Regala; Rockefeller; Ruderman; Sullivan; Tokuda and Wensman.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Lisk.

Staff:  Mark Matteson (786-7145).

Background:

The Information Services Board (ISB) is the 12-member body responsible for setting policy regarding information technology (IT) resources for state agencies.  The Board's staff support comes from the Department of Information Services (DIS).

In January 1998, ISB directed agencies to adopt the portfolio management system for their IT resources.  Under this system, each agency's IT resources, such as computers, computer systems, and telecommunications equipment, are managed as one would manage other investments, such as real estate or stocks.  Each proposed investment is examined in the context of the agency's current and planned investments as well as in the context of the state's overall IT holdings.  The DIS enabling statute reflects the former IT management structure which focused on individual agencies' acquisition plans.

The DIS enabling statute contains a limitation on the total number of deputy and assistant directors DIS can have.  DIS is one of two cabinet-level agencies with such a restriction in its enabling statute.

Summary of Bill:

A definition for "information technology portfolio" is added.  References to "acquisition plans," "oversight committees" and other outdated language are replaced by terms such as "information technology portfolios" and "advisory board."

The provision requiring approval of project plans by the director of the agency, and the directors of financial management and DIS is deleted.

Agencies are directed to develop IT portfolios and to consider those portfolios when making decisions about IT investments.  Requirements for review of agency IT budget requests are amended by requiring criteria consistent with the portfolio system.

The provision limiting the department to a total of four deputy and assistant directors is deleted.

Other clarifying and technical changes are made.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on April 1, 1999.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Technology, Telecommunications & Energy)  Investment of state information technology money should be made in context with the state's overall information technology holdings.  DIS has been crafting this bill with interested parties for a year.  This bill requires agencies to look at proposals in the context of their agencies' information technology portfolio instead of in a case-by-case manner.

(Appropriations)   This bill puts into statute current direction given by the Information Services Board that agencies adopt an information technology portfolio management system for their IT resources.  Section 5 of the bill concerns internal management issues.  Because of expansion since the inception of the department, a new division has been added to address Internet issues.  However, the department is unable to accord the division the same status as other divisions because of statutory limitations.  This section would allow the department to do so.  No new personnel will be added and there will be no salary rate increased as a result of the enactment of this legislation.

Testimony Against:  (Technology, Telecommunications & Energy)  None.

(Appropriations)   None.

Testified:  (Technology, Telecommunications & Energy)  Steve Kolodney and Erika Lim, Department of Information Services.

(Appropriations)   Erika Lim, Department of Information Services.