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What to Know:
- Texas has replaced its HUB program with VetHUB, focusing solely on businesses owned by veterans.
- Emergency rules eliminate race- and sex-based eligibility, aligning with Gov. Abbott’s Executive Order GA-55.
- Previous HUB certifications will be revoked unless businesses meet the new veteran criteria.
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Commission on State Emergency Communications Director of IT Grace Ruwwe and public-sector IT leaders from various agencies were recognized for their contributions to the state’s public service.
What to Know:
- A panel at the Texas IT Leadership Forum emphasized that successful vendor relationships depend on collaboration, not commodity-style transactions.
- Brownsville CIO Jorge Cardenas and state courts CIO Casey Kennedy highlighted key differences in how cities and state agencies manage procurement, especially around pricing flexibility and vendor capacity.
- Speakers urged vendors to invest in long-term partnerships through effective communication.
What to Know:
- San Antonio has removed race- and gender-based subcontracting goals from its municipal contracting program to comply with federal grant requirements.
- The change eliminates a rule that previously required up to 40 percent of work be subcontracted to minority- and woman-owned businesses, a provision once considered key to promoting equity in city contracting.
- While the SBEDA program still supports small and local businesses, all race- and gender-specific contracting goals have been suspended.
What to Know:
- The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is hiring a director of IT initiatives to lead a major case management system modernization and oversee strategic IT efforts.
- The role reports to the deputy CIO and involves cross-agency coordination, vendor management, IT compliance and legislative engagement.
- The director will guide the development of new systems that support child welfare programs and ensure alignment with state and federal requirements.
What to Know:
- Angelo State University (ASU) is procuring a vendor to design, develop and implement a cybersecurity data dashboard for its Regional Security Operations Center.
- Student collaboration is a core requirement of the solicitation.
- The solution must integrate with ASU’s Microsoft environment and tools like ServiceNow, CrowdStrike and Okta, and comply with security standards including NIST and FedRAMP.
What to Know:
- Texas has suspended all new and renewed HUB certifications as it reviews the program for compliance.
- The freeze may reduce the number of eligible vendors, making it harder for agencies to meet state-mandated HUB participation goals.
- Planned revisions aim to remove race- and gender-based eligibility, signaling a shift toward race- and sex-neutral certification criteria. Provisions relating to veterans may survive the changes.
What to Know:
- Tesla plans to expand its driverless robotaxi service to Houston.
- The autonomous vehicles are currently operating with safety drivers in Austin and the Bay Area; Tesla plans to phase out safety drivers in Austin by the end of 2025.
- A Texas law allows driverless vehicles on public roads, but companies must secure a permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles to operate fully autonomous fleets.
What to Know:
- The university is seeking a centralized tool to manage and publish course syllabi.
- The platform must integrate with Canvas and Banner and support accessibility and version control.
- The platform must support version history, role-based access, archiving and public-facing syllabus access.
What to Know:
- Houston’s new CAD system has a selected vendor, but integration with other systems is still being scoped and could lead to future solicitations.
- Upcoming needs may include services for systems integration, mobile connectivity, and data platform interoperability.
- The CAD contract is expected to go before the City Council in February 2026, with implementation targeted for 2028.
What to Know:
- The city is seeking information on systems that support KPIs, project management and transparency dashboards.
- The request is focused on tools that enhance automation and reporting for local government operations.
- The city previously employed a platform provided by Envisio.
What to Know:
- H-GAC is soliciting vendors for artificial intelligence consulting under a cooperative purchasing agreement.
- Contracts will support managed services, strategic planning and system implementation across the public sector.
- Sales may be made nationwide to eligible cities, counties, school districts and nonprofit organizations.
What to Know:
- The Texas Cyber Command is poised to take over statewide cybersecurity functions from DIR by the end of 2026.
- Agencies are being guided to adopt responsible AI practices, including use of the Texas AI Code of Ethics and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
- The state is prioritizing cloud, DevSecOps and agile development as part of a broader strategy to replace aging systems and accelerate modernization.
What to Know:
- The central IT agency on Friday proposed a statewide AI Code of Ethics that would apply to all state and local government use of artificial intelligence.
- The rule outlines seven key principles that agencies must follow when deploying AI systems.
- Agencies will be required to document compliance, provide redress mechanisms and train staff to monitor and validate AI outputs.
What to Know:
- Gov. Greg Abbott appointed eight members to a new board focused on artificial intelligence in state government.
- The board will guide the state’s approach to adopting AI in public-sector operations.
- Appointees bring expertise in IT modernization, legal oversight, finance and private-sector technology.
A new set of data visualizations and graphics explore IT funding across state and local government, schools and special districts in Texas.
Previously both CIO and CISO for Dallas, Brian Gardner has been heading cybersecurity in Austin since May. Here he explains the challenges of navigating a new city as well as emerging threats like data poisoning.
What to Know:
- Texas has suspended new and renewed HUB certifications while the program undergoes a legal review to ensure compliance with state and federal constitutional requirements.
- The suspension follows Executive Order GA-55, which prohibits state agencies from using race-based preferences in awarding government benefits.
- Existing HUB-certified vendors can still compete for contracts as the Comptroller’s office continues collecting participation data.
What to Know:
- The Texas DMV partnered with ISF to identify and mitigate risks during its transition from temporary paper tags to metal license plates.
- ISF developed a risk register and advised on communications, inventory management and dealer training strategies.
- The DMV credits ISF’s early involvement with helping the agency stay on track and avoid major disruptions during implementation.
What to Know:
- The city is soliciting proposals for broadband, voice and data services across departments.
- The goal is to replace legacy infrastructure and transition away from DIR-managed contracts.
- The contract will support connectivity for locations not served by the city’s own fiber network.
What to Know:
- Former CIO Mark A. Stone retired in September after more than 12 years with the Texas A&M University System.
- The A&M System's IT office says a search is underway for a new CIO, but no public job listing is currently available.
- Stone remains listed on the Texas AI Advisory Council website.
What to Know:
- DIR is seeking flood detection and alert technologies, including sensors, modeling software and emergency notification systems.
- This is a new contract category under DIR’s Cooperative Contracts Program, with no existing agreements in place.
- Eligible customers include state agencies, local governments, school districts, public hospitals and other authorized entities.
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