Information Technology Project Appropriation Process

Joint Budget Committee. Currently, with exceptions for the departments of law, state, and the treasury, an executive branch agency and, for a project that is state-funded only, a state-supported institution of higher education is required to submit a budget request for an information technology project to the joint technology committee (JTC) as part of the budget process. The JTC studies the information technology requests and makes recommendations to the joint budget committee (JBC) regarding the priority to be accorded to each request. In addition, the JBC may ask the JTC to review any budget request for an information technology project that was not required to be submitted to the JTC and instead was submitted directly to the JBC.

The bill clarifies that a review by the JTC as requested by the JBC may include a request for an information technology project submitted to the JBC by the legislative or judicial department, the department of law, the department of state, or the department of the treasury. The bill requires the JTC to oversee any such information technology project that receives an appropriation from the information technology account (account) within the capital construction fund.

The general assembly is currently authorized to make appropriations for information technology projects to state agencies and to institutions of higher education from the account. The bill clarifies that the general assembly may appropriate money in the account for information technology projects that are not subject to review by the JTC and instead are submitted directly to the JBC by the legislative or judicial department, the department of law, the department of state, or the department of the treasury.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)