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Industry Insider — Texas will not be sending a morning newsletter on Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next newsletter will hit your inbox on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
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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:
- 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:
- 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.
A new set of data visualizations and graphics explore IT funding across state and local government, schools and special districts in Texas.
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.
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.
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:
- 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.
What to Know:
- The Texas Cyber Command is hiring a vice chief and deputy chief to lead statewide cyber defense operations.
- The vice chief serves as the command’s chief strategist, guiding integration of cybersecurity functions from other agencies and representing Texas in national cyber policy discussions.
- The deputy chief role focuses on operations, directing incident response efforts and managing distributed teams.
What to Know:
- The summit marked the first under the direction of new Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute director Steve Putna and the first summit for Texas A&M Chancellor Glenn Hegar.
- The first day consensus was that Texas is in a strong position to be a leader in semiconductors and chip technology.
- Panelists pointed to the Legislature’s support for energy, noting that the state has given $10 billion for the Texas Energy Fund.
What to Know:
- The upcoming solicitation will cover cybersecurity software, services and related support.
- DIR plans to award one or more vendors under indefinite quantity contracts with no purchase minimums.
- The deadline for vendor responses is expected to be Feb. 2, 2026.
What to Know:
- On Thursday, CLEAR will introduce its biometric eGates at Love Field TSA security checkpoints.
- The service allows fliers to bypass a TSA Security podium or traditional CLEAR pod.
- The eGates are similar to biometric technology TSA has rolled out at regular security lanes in recent years.
What to Know:
- Casey Kennedy will retire from the public sector in November after 15 years as CIO.
- In a LinkedIn post, Kennedy thanked colleagues and mentors, reflected on his time in the role and said he is open to new opportunities.
- The agency has opened applications for his successor, who will serve as CIO, director of information services and information resource manager for the state judiciary.
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