BILL REQ. #:  H-2131.1 

Read first time 02/19/2007.   Referred to Committee on Technology, Energy & Communications.

     AN ACT Relating to utilizing information technology; adding a new section to chapter 43.105 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that state agencies do not always use the services offered by the department of information services, resulting in a lack of appropriate coordination, redundant systems, incompatible systems or data, and multiple computer platforms. Additionally, the legislature finds that opportunities are being missed to leverage the purchasing power of the department to drive down the cost of securing information services.
     The technology, energy, and communications committee studied streamlining state government in the technology and energy areas during the 2006 interim. The study found that state agencies use an increasing variety of information services and technologies, leading to inefficient use of state resources and fragmented authority over important information technology decisions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
     (1)(a) A joint legislative task force on streamlining state information services is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (i) The president of the senate shall appoint four members from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.
     (ii) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint four members from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives. At least one member from each caucus must be a member of the house technology, energy and communications committee.
     (iii) The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives jointly shall appoint two members representing local government and public benefit nonprofit corporations who utilize the services of the department of information services.
     (iv) The governor shall appoint two members: (A) The director of the department of information services, and (B) a member of the information services board.
     (b) In addition, the department of information services shall cooperate with the task force and maintain a liaison representative, who shall be a nonvoting member. The department shall cooperate with the task force and provide information as the cochairs may reasonably request. The task force shall consult other state agencies and individuals from the private sector with expertise in this area as necessary to carry out the mission of the task force.
     (c) The task force shall choose its cochairs from among its legislative membership. The chair of the house technology, energy and communications committee shall convene the initial meeting of the task force.
     (2) The task force shall review the following issues:
     (a) A statewide information services strategy;
     (b) Development of a process to strengthen the mandate of the department of information services in acquiring various information services;
     (c) Leveraging the purchasing power of the department of information services to drive down the cost of securing information services; and
     (d) Strengthening the role of the information services board in enhancing the utilization of services offered by the department of information services.
     (3) Staff support for the task force shall be provided by the senate committee services and the house office of program research.
     (4) Legislative members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (5) The expenses of the task force shall be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2007.
     (7) This section expires December 31, 2007.