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Members raise concerns about SB 291 sunset, plan conference talks on related bills
Summary
Committee members discussed the sunset provision in Senate Bill 291 and referenced House legislation intended to remove the sunset; a member announced a conference committee on a related bill and staff confirmed the SB 291 sunset date.
Members of the Joint Committee on Information Technology discussed concerns that a centralized IT statute (Senate Bill 291) contains a sunset and noted pending House action that would remove the sunset. A member also announced a conference committee on a related House bill.
At the meeting, a committee member said they would call a conference committee later that afternoon on a measure identified in the transcript as "House, Senate Sub for House Bill 2,313." The member said the conference would address language making JCIT part of report-out authority for a prior cybersecurity bill. The member identified themselves as chair of legislative modernization on the House side and said they would pursue those changes in conference.
Senator Tyson asked whether the centralized-IT law passed last year includes a sunset provision and whether action is needed to exempt some agencies. Committee staff responded that Senate Bill 291 "does sunset on July 1, 2026," and that the House passed House Bill 2,271 to remove the sunset provisions from Senate Bill 291. Members said agencies have raised concerns about impacts on security and that the committee should use conference discussions to address agency questions. Representative Penn noted the committee had conducted private closed briefings with Legislative Post Audit and others and said the bill prepared in committee had incorporated amendments and followed the committee process.
Members did not vote on the statutory language during this meeting; several members urged agency representatives to bring specific technical or operational concerns to the conference or committee process so the language can be refined. The discussion included references to past incidents that affected judicial IT systems and a request that agencies make concerns known in committee rather than only to individual legislators.
The committee agreed to pursue conference discussions and to continue coordinating with staff and affected agencies to clarify implementation and exemptions before any sunset takes effect.
