S.B. No. 2404 aims to enhance the governance and operational efficiency of the Texas Department of Information Resources by introducing several key provisions. The bill mandates the development of a voluntary certification course on the procurement of information resources technologies, which must be offered quarterly, along with annual training for upper management at state agencies on best purchasing practices. Successful completion of this certification can count towards continuing education for existing purchasing and contract management certifications. Additionally, the bill modifies the department's governing board to consist of 11 members, with seven voting members appointed by the governor and four nonvoting members representing higher education and state agencies. It also extends the department's sunset provision to September 1, 2037, and establishes new advisory committees to enhance information security and customer service.

Furthermore, the bill amends various sections of the Government Code to improve cybersecurity training and assessment requirements for state and local government employees, mandating annual completion of a certified cybersecurity training program. It also requires state agencies to undergo information security assessments and penetration testing every two years. The legislation introduces a Procurement Services Pilot Program to assist agencies in procuring information resources technologies and emphasizes the importance of data governance assessments, requiring biennial evaluations and reporting to the department and legislative leaders. The bill repeals several existing provisions related to information security and governance to streamline the regulatory framework and is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 2054.003, Government Code 61.003, Government Code 2054.021, Government Code 2054.024, Government Code 2054.033, Government Code 2054.035, Government Code 2054.036, Government Code 2054.055, Government Code 2054.075, Government Code 2054.097, Government Code 2054.2606, Government Code 2054.456, Government Code 2054.515, Government Code 2054.5191 (Government Code 61, Government Code 2054)