The Florida Senate

282.3091  State Technology Council; creation.--

(1)  The Legislature finds that it is in the state's interest to create a council consisting of state senior-level executive managers and representatives from the private sector to develop a statewide vision and to make recommendations on statewide policies for information resources management to the Executive Office of the Governor and the Legislature.

(2)  There is created a State Technology Council. The council shall be placed, for administrative purposes, in the Department of Management Services.

(3)  The council shall be composed of nine members as follows:

(a)  The Comptroller.

(b)  The Commissioner of Education.

(c)  The Secretary of State.

(d)  The secretary of the Department of Management Services, who shall ¹serve as chair of the council.

(e)  Three state agency heads appointed by the Governor.

(f)  Two private sector representatives, one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one appointed by the President of the Senate, who are not current members of the Legislature. Private sector representatives shall, at a minimum, have a general knowledge of or experience in managing information technology resources. However, representatives of information technology resource vendors or any of their subsidiaries that sell products or services to the state shall not be appointed to serve as a private sector representative.

Members may appoint designees to serve on their behalf; however, such designees must be in a position that reports directly to the member.

(4)  Members of the council who are appointed shall serve 2-year terms beginning January 1 through December 31, except that their initial term shall be July 1, 1997, through December 31, 1998. A member may be removed by the appointing officer for cause or if such member is absent from three consecutive meetings. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor.

(5)  The council shall meet at least quarterly, but may meet upon the call of the chair. All actions taken by the council shall be based upon approval by a simple majority.

(6)  Members of the council shall be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. Members who are state officers or employees may be reimbursed for such expenses by their respective agencies.

(7)  The council shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

(a)  To develop a statewide vision for information resources management which shall be reflected in the State Annual Report on Information Resources Management.

(b)  To recommend statewide policies to the Executive Office of the Governor, to the President of the Senate, and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(c)  To recommend innovation in the state's use of technology to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(d)  To identify, develop, and recommend solutions to address statewide technology issues to the Executive Office of the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(e)  To create ad hoc issue-oriented workgroups to make recommendations to the council and to the Executive Office of the Governor. Such workgroups may include private and public sector representatives.

(f)  To consult with the Chief Information Officers Council.

(g)  To approve the State Annual Report on Information Resources Management.

(h)  To recommend memoranda on guidelines and best practices to the Executive Office of the Governor.

(8)  The council shall create a Task Force on Privacy and Technology. The task force shall include professionals in the fields of communications, government, law enforcement, law, marketing, technology, and financial services, including, but not limited to, the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business, the Florida Retail Federation, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution. The task force shall study and make recommendations by February 1, 2000, in a report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding:

(a)  Privacy issues under the constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of Florida, the Public Records Act, and the advent of the use of advanced technologies.

(b)  Technology fraud, including, but not limited to, the illegal use of citizens' identities and credit.

(c)  Balancing the traditional openness of public records in the state with the need to protect the privacy and identity of individuals.

(d)  The sale of public records to private individuals and companies.

In order to carry out its duties and responsibilities, the task force shall hold a summit to gather the best available knowledge regarding these issues. The council shall staff the task force as necessary. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses of attending the summit and performing duties of the task force, including per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061. Such expenses shall be reimbursed from funds of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. This subsection is repealed July 1, 2000.

History.--s. 10, ch. 97-286; s. 22, ch. 98-73; s. 28, ch. 98-136; s. 2, ch. 99-306; s. 41, ch. 99-399.

¹Note.--The word "serve" was substituted for the word "service" by the editors.