HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2634

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to information technology.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that in today's digital world, government data is the lifeblood of effective governance.  It powers critical services, from tax collection to emergency response, and underpins the very fabric of society.  As such, safeguarding and ensuring the uninterrupted availability of government data is not merely an option, it is an imperative.

     The legislature further finds that a power outage, a cooling system malfunction, or a network disruption could bring the entire system to a standstill, with dire consequences for the State's residents and businesses.  Any facility must possess multiple power sources, fuel storage, power distribution paths, cooling systems, and heat exchange distribution paths.  This redundancy will ensure that the data center can continue to operate even if one system fails, preventing downtime and safeguarding the availability of critical government services.

     The benefits of a resilient data center extend far beyond the avoidance of downtime.  It will foster greater public trust in government operations, as citizens can be confident that their data is secure and accessible even in the face of unforeseen events.  Moreover, it will enhance the State's ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters, ensuring that critical information remains available when it is needed most.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to amend the duties and sunset date of the technology services consolidation working group to ensure that critical state data has the redundancy necessary to continue to operate even if one system fails, preventing downtime and safeguarding the availability of critical government services.

     SECTION 2.  Act 179, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, section 2, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:

     "(a)  There is established a technology services consolidation working group, that shall:

     (1)  Develop a plan for the phased consolidation of all state executive branch information technology services and staff, where determined practicable by the working group, within five years, excluding the department of education, Hawaii health systems corporation, [University] university of Hawaii, and office of Hawaiian affairs, under the office of enterprise technology services.  The plan shall include:

          (A)  An identification of the specific positions and functions to be transferred in each department;

          (B)  Proposed dates of transfer for each position and function;

          (C)  Proposed information technology facility, personnel, and operational infrastructure needs of the consolidated information technology agency, with projections on future integration needs as additional agencies' information technology staff and services are added;

          (D)  Recommendations to enable the office of enterprise technology services to provide expert support to all state agencies regarding information technology activities in order to meet the needs of the agencies and the public; and

          (E)  Recommendations to ensure that agency services are not interrupted during the phased consolidation; [and]

     (2)  Make recommendations to attract high-quality information technology professionals to the State, including the use of internships[,] and partnerships with private providers and carriers, and assess the feasibility of exempting certain positions from the requirements of chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes[.];

     (3)  Relocate the office of enterprise technology services' data center, including the primary data center located in the Kalanimoku building and any satellite data center located in any facility under the management and control of a state agency;

     (4)  Ensure that all consolidated state information technology data to a facility shall possess the resiliency to perform concurrent maintenance or upgrades without down time with multiple power generation, fuel storage, power distribution paths, cooling systems and heat exchange distribution paths that ensure that the data center can continue to operate even if one system fails when a utility power source is not available, without affecting the overall system; and

     (5)  Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025."

     2.  By amending subsection (f) to read:

     "(f)  The working group shall be dissolved on [December 31, 2023.] June 30, 2025."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

Report Title:

Technology Services Consolidation Working Group; Report

 

Description:

Amends the duties and sunset date of the Technology Services Consolidation Working Group.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.