State lawmakers are returning Monday to the state capitol to tackle leftover business as the second year of the 2015-16 term begins. Here’s a quick recap of some of the important stories and tech-related legislation that made headlines on Techwire in 2015.
Legislation Aimed to Improve Large-Scale IT Procurements Halted
An Assembly bill requiring the state to develop procedures to improve the procurement of large-scale information technology systems stalled in the state Senate in September during the final week of the legislative session. AB 558, authored by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, passed on both floors and was enrolled for action by the governor before being pulled back.
AB 558 would’ve required the California Department of Technology (CDT) to develop procedures to make the acquisition of new projects more efficient and reduce paper submissions through electronic bids and proposals. It also would require any and all changes to rules and requirements to be communicated electronically and posted on the respective websites of the Department of General Services (DGS) and CDT.
Technology trade association CompTIA, formerly known as TechAmerica, sponsored the bill, arguing that without it the state of California may find it extremely hard to implement Fi$Cal, the state’s first-ever electronic accounting and procurement system.
Governor Vetoes Vendor Performance Assessment Legislation
Gov. Jerry Brown in October vetoed legislation that would have required California to develop a performance evaluation system for vendors awarded large state IT contracts.
“While holding technology contractors accountable for their performance is important, this bill is not necessary because it duplicates what the Department of Technology is already doing,” Brown wrote in his veto message on AB 522.
The Department of Technology said in December it intends to pilot its performance assessment system, using five key performance indicators, in early 2016.
AB 522 was introduced by Assemblymember Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood. Earlier this year Burke amended the bill so that only projects reportable to the Department of Technology would be included in the vendor evaluation system. Last month a coalition of technology industry groups asked Brown to veto the legislation, saying the bill lacks clarity, is redundant of the Department of Technology's efforts, and doesn't adequately factor in the performance of state agencies in IT project success.
Governor Signs Bill Requiring IT Security Assessments for State Agencies
AB 670 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, will require the California Office of Information Security (OIS) to conduct no fewer than 35 security assessments of state agencies, departments and offices annually. The security office, a division of the Department of Technology, was authorized to conduct its own security assessments, but only a few were done each year. Assessments through OIS usually take one to two days with costs ranging between $10,000 and $40,000 depending on the size and depth of the assessment, according to a legislative analysis.
Chief Data Officer Bill Stalls at the State Capitol
Legislation stalled at the State Capitol that would create a chief data officer for California and require agencies to contribute data sets to the state’s centralized open data Web portal.
The bill, SB 573, by Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, would have required the governor make the appointment by June 1, 2016, and the nominee would be subject to Senate confirmation. The bill also would have required state agencies to provide the public access to data sets and publish summary lists of available data sets on the portal. The state’s Government Operations Agency is believed to be working on a new state open data for California.
New Technology Caucus Shows Power of Industry, Young Lawmakers
Eleven state lawmakers have formed a new Legislative Technology and Innovation Caucus that will begin meeting in 2016. The first-of-its-kind caucus, announced on Tuesday, features a group of legislators from the Assembly and Senate who are tech-savvy and several who are from Generation X and millennial generations.
