The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) fiscal year 2028-29 Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) includes about $69 million in technology-related funding, including $11 million in exceptional items and $58 million in baseline technology capital requests.
The funding includes $10 million for information resources operations, modernization and data security, along with $1 million for drinking water information system integration. The agency's baseline capital requests include $49 million for data center services, $3.8 million for cybersecurity, $3 million for technology acquisitions and $2 million for legacy system modernization.
The largest technology-related exceptional item falls under TCEQ's Continuity of Operations request, which includes $10 million for information resources. That funding is divided between $7 million for maintaining and modernizing agency applications and IT operations and $3 million for artificial intelligence and data security.
During a Sept. 24 joint budget hearing, TCEQ Chief Budget and Efficiency Officer Elizabeth Sifuentez Koch said the Continuity of Operations request specifically supports IT needs, including safeguards for AI and methods to identify and classify sensitive information to restrict access.
The $7 million request would support ongoing technology operations and application maintenance and modernization. During the hearing, Koch said TCEQ maintains more than 100 applications to manage information associated with 834,000 regulated facilities, 200,000 investigations and public complaints.
The agency is also seeking $3 million for AI and data security. The request would support the use of AI capabilities and efforts to strengthen the security of agency information and systems.
Although the $10 million request falls under TCEQ's Information Resources strategy, the funding includes personnel and operational expenses in addition to technology-related services.
Another exceptional item includes $1 million to support integration with a replacement federal drinking water information system.
The funding would support TCEQ's work to connect its existing drinking water information systems with the federal replacement system, allowing the agency to continue exchanging information needed for drinking water oversight and reporting.
Beyond exceptional items, the agency is requesting about $58 million in baseline technology capital funding across the biennium.
The largest category is data center and shared technology services, totaling $49 million. This funding supports the agency's ongoing use of shared technology infrastructure and data center services.
TCEQ also requests $3.8 million for cybersecurity and $3 million for acquisition of information resource technologies. The acquisition category includes funding for personal computer replacement and technology operations, with about $1.7 million requested in FY 2028 and $1.2 million in FY 2029.
Another $2 million is requested for Title V legacy modernization, supporting continued modernization of technology associated with the agency's air permitting program.
Environmental Agency LAR Includes $69M in Tech Funding
What to Know:
- The Commission on Environmental Quality seeks $10.1 million for IT modernization, artificial intelligence and data security.
- Another $1 million would support drinking water system integration.
- Baseline funding includes $49.2 million for data centers and $3.8 million for cybersecurity.
