Joint Technology Committee approves introduction of IT procurement transparency bill after debate on RFIs and market research

The Joint Technology Committee voted to introduce draft legislation titled Purchasing Transparency for Information Technology Procurement, moving the bill forward after questions about request-for-information (RFI) language and market-research requirements.

The bill would require the Joint Technology Committee (JTC) to conduct an annual review of IT project rates and billing practices; require that a budget request to JTC include responses to a request for information and formal market research for major projects; remove a continuous appropriation for the IT revolving fund; and repeal the office's authority to approve procurement contracts related to IT projects while permitting the office to be a party to procurement processes. The draft also requires certain governmental bodies to issue RFIs and allows JTC to…