Budget bills filed Wednesday reflect overall spending to include $150 billion in general revenue with hundreds of millions in tech spending for some agencies.
The agency’s recommendations aim to address the needs of Texas’ various agencies and local government entities scattered across the state.
Although the 2026-27 budget estimate is 1.1 percent lower than last biennium, the Legislature convenes Tuesday with a $23.8 billion cash carry over — meaning the state remains in surplus.
Coming as the state’s coffers are brimming with more than $20 billion in unspent tax money, the requests lean heavily toward pay raises and new hires for state agencies dealing with high turnover and low pay.
Industry Insider — Texas spoke with IBM's Worldwide Leader for Data and AI for insight on state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione’s Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act and its potential should the bill pass.
The oldest regulatory agency, which is responsible for the oil and gas industry, is asking for more than $27 million in exceptional IT items and $40.8 million in capital expenditures.
Among the agency’s exceptional item requests are $9 million for application modernization, $5 million for data, $3.2 million for 14 additional IT staff members, and $1 million for digitizing records.
The agency’s capital budget request is about $3 million less than the agency was granted for equivalent items in FY 2024-25.
According to the request, the agency requires $27 million for IT capital budget items and $8 million for a single IT exceptional item.
The Department of Information Resources released its state performance report last week, highlighting legislative recommendations aligning with strategic goals.
The agency’s capital budget request is approximately $8.2 million less than it was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill for FY24-25.
The agency's capital budget request is significantly lower than it was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill for FY24-25.
The University of Texas RGV is opening the third state regional operational security center, and four more are on the horizon, per DIR’s legislative appropriations request.
The RRC commissioner told a local newspaper the commission wants more data for itself and the industry.
The agency’s IT capital budget request is approximately $5 million less than TDA was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill for FY 24-25.
Two requests are included in the Comptroller of Public Accounts’ legislative appropriations request. The first is not as specific as the second, which addresses the ongoing costs of two legacy systems already in process.
The Texas Workforce Commission’s biennial spending could include $11 million for data center consolidation and a $4.2 million network modernization, according to its exceptional requests.
The Innovation and Technology Caucus of the Texas Legislature chair revealed the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act on Monday in an email to stakeholders.
Federal and state requirements, expert staff needs and constant technical change are evident in the Health and Human Services Commission’s 2026-27 legislative appropriations request.
The agency’s IT capital budget request is approximately $10 million less than DSHS was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill (HB 1) for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
Notable requests include $97 million for disaster recovery and technology modernization, $27 million for securing crime record data and $24 million for security and identity management.
The oldest state agency is among those asking the Legislature for funds to grow its tech workforce at a cost of about $900,000 per year.
According to TDCJ’s legislative appropriations request, the agency’s IT department is severely understaffed in comparison to similar state agencies.
The requested capital budget is approximately $136 million less than what TDCJ was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill for FY 2024-25.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has outlined the funding needed for the continued TIERS modernization at about $46 million in the coming biennium, with additional funds through 2030.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center announced a downed system on Sunday, and its websites were offline as late as Thursday.
The legislative appropriations request also includes updates for IT projects in development, including plans to transition to a new case management system and establish an interagency background check system.
The requested capital budget is about $10 million more than what DFPS was granted for equivalent items in the General Appropriations Bill for FY 2024-25.
The Department of Information Resources is asking for 49 more employees, in part as a response to the Sunset Advisory Commission’s advice to increase outreach.
The Health and Human Services Commission is asking for 44 exceptional items in its legislative appropriations request; about two dozen are straightforward IT projects or have IT components. Modernizing the Medicaid Enterprise System is the top IT project.
The state agency is asking for 73 full-time employees across the organization alongside money for software modernization and upkeep to support growing responsibilities.
The agency is asking the 89th Legislature to fund modernization efforts that will enhance the visitor experience.
The proposed IT capital budget is about $26 million more than what TxDOT was granted for the same expenses in Fiscal Year 2024-25.
