The Legislative Budget Board, one of the agencies to whom all state agency budget planning is submitted, has published a list of 2024-2025 "exceptional items" requests for those with biennial appropriations above $40 million. Below are seven agencies on the list.
Agencies and technology-related requests in this report include:
- Alcoholic and Beverage Commission: IT transformation ($4.4 million), AIMS licensing and support ($2.4 million), cybersecurity ($785,962).
- Commission on Environmental Quality: Website usability enhancements ($6.2 million).
- Higher Education Coordinating Board: Data security and modernization ($50 million).
- Library and Archives Commission: IT and security ($731,842), IT and broadband readiness ($4.4 million), archival and record storage expansion ($51 million).
- Secretary of State: SOS legacy modernization phase two ($24.1 million).
- Texas Education Agency: IT deferred maintenance ($11.2 million), data privacy initiative ($55 million).
- Water Development Board: Data enhancement and modernization ($8.4 million).
Each biennial budget takes more than a year to develop, involving all the executive branch departments and agencies, as well as the governor, Legislature, the comptroller and the state auditor's office, according to The Texas Politics Project. The process begins during the spring of the year before the January opening of the biennial legislative session.
The budget planning process takes four phases:
- Planning and proposal
- Legislative action
- Review and approval by the comptroller and governor
- Implementation and monitoring
The 88th Legislature convenes at noon Jan. 10.
