SB 235
Department of Legislative Services
Maryland General Assembly
2021 Session
FISCAL AND POLICY NOTE
Third Reader
Senate Bill 235 (Chair, Finance Committee)(By Request - Departmental -
Information Technology)
Finance Appropriations
Major Information Technology Development Project Fund – Use of Funds
This departmental bill expands the purpose of the Major Information Technology
Development Project Fund (MITDPF) to require funding of the Statewide Public Safety
Interoperability Radio System (commonly known as Maryland FiRST). The bill also
requires (instead of authorizes) MITDPF to be used to support the State telecommunication
and computer network (commonly known as the networkMaryland). The Secretary of
Information Technology may allocate funds between the two programs. The bill takes
effect July 1, 2021.
Fiscal Summary
State Effect: The bill codifies and clarifies current practice and, therefore, does not affect
State operations or finances.
Local Effect: The bill does not directly affect local government operations or finances.
Small Business Effect: The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) has
determined that this bill has minimal or no impact on small business (attached). The
Department of Legislative Services concurs with this assessment.
Analysis
Current Law: In order to centralize State oversight and funding for major
Executive Branch information technology (IT) projects, Chapters 467 and 468 of 2002
established a review and approval process for major IT development projects and the
related MITDPF. The process and fund are both managed by DoIT. MITDPF is used to
pay for major IT development projects in general funded agencies.
Among other sources of revenue, the fund consists of money received from IT agreements
involving resource sharing, but certain government entities (including the Maryland Public
Broadcasting Commission, as well as the Legislative Branch and the Judiciary) are exempt
from paying any money into the fund. Special funded agencies manage funding for their
major IT projects, although their projects remain subject to the review, approval, and
oversight of DoIT.
For a project to be eligible for funding through MITDPF, it must (1) be estimated to cost
at least $1.0 million; (2) support critical business functions associated with the public
health, education, safety, or financial well-being of the citizens of Maryland; or (3) be
determined to require special attention and consideration by the Secretary.
In addition to funding such projects, MITDPF funds may be used to support the State
telecommunication and computer network
Background: DoIT advises that MITDPF monies are already being used to pay for costs
associated with networkMaryland as authorized under current law and the Maryland FiRST
public safety interoperability radio system. The bill, therefore, simply clarifies and codifies
this current practice.
The Maryland First Responder Radio System Team (FiRST) is a Statewide Land Mobile
Radio system with encryption capabilities for public safety. The One Maryland Broadband
Network is a planned 1,294-mile fiber optic broadband network that will link
1,006 government facilities and community “anchor institutions” in every county in the
State, while interconnecting and extending three independent networks:
networkMaryland, the Inter-County Broadband Network (ICBN), and the Maryland
Broadband Cooperative (MDBC).
The broadband network networkMaryland is used by many government agencies
throughout the State, including the Legislative and Judicial branches of State government;
the network is operated by DoIT. ICBN is a publicly run network that provides broadband
services to businesses, community institutions, and residents in the cities of Annapolis and
Baltimore and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and
Prince George’s counties. MDBC is a publicly run network that provides broadband
services to rural areas in the State.
Additional Information
Prior Introductions: None.
SB 235/ Page 2
Designated Cross File: None.
Information Source(s): Department of Information Technology; Department of
Legislative Services
Fiscal Note History: First Reader - January 17, 2021
rh/mcr Third Reader - February 11, 2021
Analysis by: Richard L. Duncan Direct Inquiries to:
(410) 946-5510
(301) 970-5510
SB 235/ Page 3
 ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESSES
TITLE OF BILL: Major Information Technology Development Project Fund – Use of Funds
BILL NUMBER: SB 235
PREPARED BY: Patrick Mulford
PART A. ECONOMIC IMPACT RATING
This agency estimates that the proposed bill:
__x___ WILL HAVE MINIMAL OR NO ECONOMIC IMPACT ON MARYLAND SMALL
BUSINESSES
OR
WILL HAVE A MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC IMPACT ON MARYLAND SMALL
BUSINESSES
PART B. ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
No Impact
SB 235/ Page 4