Bill > SB1844

This bill establishes the Interagency Data Transparency Commission, referred to as the "commission," to study and review how state agencies currently manage, classify, share, and report public data, and to explore making this data available online in an open source format that is machine-readable, exportable, and easily accessible to the public. The commission is tasked with developing methods to standardize data across agencies, improve data gathering and processing efficiency, reduce costs and duplication, enhance interagency coordination and sharing, increase accountability, and improve information management for better security, fraud detection, cost reduction, operational improvements, and legal compliance. The commission will consist of representatives from various state entities, including the Department of Information Resources, Texas Legislative Council, Legislative Budget Board, relevant legislative committees, the Comptroller's office, and appointees from the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House, with no compensation for members. State agencies are required to provide assistance to the commission, which must submit a final report with recommendations for legislative and administrative changes by September 1, 2016, and can provide additional reports as requested. The bill also sets deadlines for appointing commission members and for the commission's initial meeting, with the act taking effect on September 1, 2015.