MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Appropriations

By: Representative Brown

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-53-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF CERTAIN TERMS AS USED IN THE CHAPTER OF LAW THAT CREATES THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES AND PRESCRIBES ITS POWERS AND DUTIES; TO AMEND SECTIONS 25-53-5 AND 25-53-123, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE ADVERTISEMENT AND RECEIPT OF COMPETITIVE BIDS BY THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR THE ACQUISITION OR RENTAL OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES WHEN THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS EXCEEDS A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT AS ESTABLISHED IN THE PUBLIC PURCHASING LAW; TO AMEND SECTION 25-53-51, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE CERTAIN APPLICANTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AT THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO BE FINGERPRINTED AND TO PROVIDE THAT SUCH FINGERPRINTS SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION IF NO DISQUALIFYING RECORD OF THE APPLICANT IS IDENTIFIED AT THE STATE LEVEL; TO REPEAL SECTION 25-53-103, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PRESCRIBES DEFINITIONS FOR CERTAIN TERMS USED IN THE SECTIONS OF LAW THAT PLACE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACQUISITION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS IN THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 25-53-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-53-3. (1) Whenever the term "Central Data Processing Authority" or the term "authority," when referring to the Central Data Processing Authority, is used in any law, rule, regulation, document or elsewhere, it shall be construed to mean the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services.

(2) For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Central Data Processing Authority" and "CDPA" * * * mean "Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (MDITS)" and the term "authority" means "board of the MDITS." * * *

(b) "Bureau of Systems Policy and Planning," "Bureau of Telecommunications," * * * "Bureau of Central Data Processing" and "bureau" mean "Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services." * * *

(c) "Computer equipment or services" means any information technology, computer or computer related telecommunications equipment, electronic word processing and office systems, or services utilized in connection therewith, including, but not limited to, all phases of computer software and consulting services, and insurance on all state-owned computer equipment.

(d) "Acquisition" of computer or telecommunications equipment or services means the purchase, lease, rental, or acquisition in any other manner of any such computer or telecommunications equipment or services.

(e) "Agency" means and includes all the various state agencies, officers, departments, boards, commissions, offices and institutions of the state but does not include any agency financed entirely by federal funds.

(f) "Governing authority" means boards of supervisors, governing boards of all school districts, all boards of directors of public water supply districts, boards of directors of master public water supply districts, municipal public utility commissions, governing authorities of all municipalities, port authorities, commissioners and boards of trustees of any public hospitals and any political subdivision of the state supported wholly or in part by public funds of the state or political subdivisions thereof.

(g) "Bid" means any of the valid source selection techniques and competitive procurement methods appropriate to information technology procurement in the public sector, including but not limited to, competitive sealed bidding, competitive sealed proposals, simplified small purchase procedures, sole source procurements, and emergency procurements.

(h) "Telecommunications transmission facility" means any transmission medium, switch, instrument, inside wiring system or other facility which is used, in whole or part, to provide any transmission.

(i) "Equipment support contract" means a contract which covers a single, specific class or classes of telecommunications equipment or service and all features associated with that class, through which state agencies may purchase or lease the item of equipment or service specified by issuing a purchase order under the terms of the contract without the necessity of further competitive bidding.

(j) "Inside wiring system" means any wiring which:

(i) Directly or indirectly, interconnects any terminal equipment with any other terminal equipment or with any regulated facility or common carrier services; and

(ii) Is located at the premises of the customer and is not inside any terminal equipment.

(k) "Procurement" means the selling, buying, purchasing, renting, leasing or otherwise obtaining telecommunications equipment, system or related services, as well as activities engaged in, resulting in or expected to result in selling, buying, purchasing, renting, leasing or otherwise obtaining telecommunications equipment.

(l) "Telecommunications equipment, systems, related services" are limited to the equipment and means to provide:

(i) Telecommunications transmission facilities.

(ii) Telephone systems, including voice processing systems.

(iii) Facsimile systems.

(iv) Radio paging services.

(v) Mobile telephone services, including cellular mobile telephone service.

(vi) Intercom and paging systems.

(vii) Video teleconferencing systems.

(viii) Personal communications networks and services.

(ix) Any and all systems based on emerging and future telecommunications technologies relative to (i) through (viii) above.

(m) "Telecommunications system lease contract" means a contract between a supplier of telecommunications systems, including equipment and related services, and the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services through which telecommunications systems, including equipment and related services, may be leased for a term which shall not exceed sixty (60) months for a system lease valued less than One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) and shall not exceed one hundred twenty (120) months for a system lease valued One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) or more.

(n) "Tariffed or regulated service" means telecommunications service offered by common carriers and subject to control by the Mississippi Public Service Commission or the Federal Communications Commission.

SECTION 2. Section 25-53-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-53-5. The authority shall have the following powers, duties, and responsibilities:

(a) The authority shall provide for the development of plans for the efficient acquisition and utilization of computer equipment and services by all agencies of state government, and provide for their implementation. In so doing, the authority may use the MDITS staff, at the discretion of the executive director of the authority, or the authority may contract for the services of qualified consulting firms in the field of information technology and utilize the service of such consultants as may be necessary for such purposes.

(b) The authority shall immediately institute procedures for carrying out the purposes of this chapter and supervise the efficient execution of the powers and duties of the office of executive director of the authority. In the execution of its functions under this chapter, the authority shall maintain as a paramount consideration the successful internal organization and operation of the several agencies so that efficiency existing therein shall not be adversely affected or impaired. In executing its functions in relation to the institutions of higher learning and junior colleges in the state, the authority shall take into consideration the special needs of such institutions in relation to the fields of teaching and scientific research.

(c) Title of whatever nature of all computer equipment now vested in any agency of the State of Mississippi is hereby vested in the authority, and no such equipment shall be disposed of in any manner except in accordance with the direction of the authority or under the provisions of such rules and regulations as may hereafter be adopted by the authority in relation thereto.

(d) The authority shall adopt rules, regulations, and procedures governing the acquisition of computer and telecommunications equipment and services which shall, to the fullest extent practicable, insure the maximum of competition between all manufacturers of supplies or equipment or services. In the writing of specifications, in the making of contracts relating to the acquisition of such equipment and services, and in the performance of its other duties the authority shall provide for the maximum compatibility of all information systems hereafter installed or utilized by all state agencies and may require the use of common computer languages where necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter. The authority may establish by regulation and charge reasonable fees on a nondiscriminatory basis for the furnishing to bidders of copies of bid specifications and other documents issued by the authority.

(e) The authority shall adopt rules and regulations governing the sharing with, or the sale or lease of information technology services to any nonstate agency or person. Such regulations shall provide that any such sharing, sale, or lease shall be restricted in that same shall be accomplished only where such services are not readily available otherwise within the state, and then only at a charge to the user not less than the prevailing rate of charge for similar services by private enterprise within this state.

(f) The authority may, in its discretion, establish a special technical advisory committee or committees to study and make recommendations on technology matters within the competence of the authority as the authority may see fit. Persons serving on the Information Resource Council, its task forces, or any such technical advisory committees shall be entitled to receive their actual and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of such duties, together with mileage as provided by law for state employees, provided the same has been authorized by a resolution duly adopted by the authority and entered on its minutes prior to the performance of such duties.

(g) The authority may provide for the development and require the adoption of standardized computer programs and may provide for the dissemination of information to and the establishment of training programs for the personnel of the various information technology centers of state agencies and personnel of the agencies utilizing the services thereof.

(h) The authority shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations requiring the reporting to the authority through the office of executive director of such information as may be required for carrying out the purposes of this chapter and may also establish such reasonable procedures to be followed in the presentation of bills for payment under the terms of all contracts for the acquisition of computer equipment and services now or hereafter in force as may be required by the authority or by the executive director in the execution of their powers and duties.

(i) The authority shall require such adequate documentation of information technology procedures utilized by the various state agencies and may require the establishment of such organizational structures within state agencies relating to information technology operations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

(j) The authority may adopt such further reasonable rules and regulations as may be necessary to fully implement the purposes of this chapter. All rules and regulations adopted by the authority shall be published and disseminated in readily accessible form to all affected state agencies, and to all current suppliers of computer equipment and services to the state, and to all prospective suppliers requesting the same. Such rules and regulations shall be kept current, be periodically revised, and copies thereof shall be available at all times for inspection by the public at reasonable hours in the offices of the authority. Whenever possible no rule, regulation or any proposed amendment to such rules and regulations shall be finally adopted or enforced until copies of said proposed rules and regulations have been furnished to all interested parties for their comment and suggestions.

(k) The authority shall establish rules and regulations which shall provide for the submission of all contracts proposed to be executed by the executive director for computer equipment or services to the authority for approval before final execution, and the authority may provide that such contracts involving the expenditure of less than such specified amount as may be established by the authority may be finally executed by the executive director without first obtaining such approval by the authority.

(l) The authority is authorized to purchase, lease, or rent computer equipment or services and to operate said equipment and utilize said services in providing services to one or more state agencies when in its opinion such operation will provide maximum efficiency and economy in the functions of any such agency or agencies.

(m) The authority shall assist political subdivisions and instrumentalities in their development of plans for the efficient acquisition and utilization of computer equipment and services. An appropriate fee shall be charged the political subdivision by the authority for such assistance.

(n) The authority shall adopt rules and regulations governing the protest procedures to be followed by any actual or prospective bidder, offerer or contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract for the acquisition of computer equipment or services. Such rules and regulations shall prescribe the manner, time and procedure for making protests and may provide that a protest not timely filed shall be summarily denied. The authority may require the protesting party, at the time of filing the protest, to post a bond, payable to the state, in an amount that the authority determines sufficient to cover any expense or loss incurred by the state, the authority or any state agency as a result of the protest if the protest subsequently is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been filed without any substantial basis or reasonable expectation to believe that the protest was meritorious; however, in no event may the amount of the bond required exceed a reasonable estimate of the total project cost. The authority, in its discretion, also may prohibit any prospective bidder, offerer or contractor who is a party to any litigation involving any such contract with the state, the authority or any agency of the state to participate in any other such bid, offer or contract, or to be awarded any such contract, during the pendency of the litigation.

(o) The authority shall make a report in writing to the Legislature each year in the month of January. Such report shall contain a full and detailed account of the work of the authority for the preceding year as specified in Section 25-53-29(3).

All acquisitions of computer equipment and services involving the expenditure of funds in excess of the dollar amount established in Section 31-7-13(c), or rentals or leases in excess of the dollar amount established in Section 31-7-13(c) for the term of the contract, shall be based upon competitive and open specifications, and contracts therefor shall be entered into only after advertisements for bids are published in one or more daily newspapers having a general circulation in the state not less than fourteen (14) days prior to receiving sealed bids therefor. The authority may reserve the right to reject any or all bids, and if all bids are rejected, the authority may negotiate a contract within the limitations of the specifications so long as the terms of any such negotiated contract are equal to or better than the comparable terms submitted by the lowest and best bidder, and so long as the total cost to the State of Mississippi does not exceed the lowest bid. If the authority accepts one (1) of such bids, it shall be that which is the lowest and best.

(p) When applicable, the authority may procure equipment, systems and related services in accordance with the law or regulations, or both, which govern the Bureau of Purchasing of the Office of General Services or which govern the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services procurement of telecommunications equipment, software and services.

(q) The authority is authorized to purchase, lease, or rent information technology and services for the purpose of establishing pilot projects to investigate emerging technologies. These acquisitions shall be limited to new technologies and shall be limited to an amount set by annual appropriation of the Legislature. These acquisitions shall be exempt from the advertising and bidding requirement.

(r) All fees collected by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services shall be deposited into the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services Revolving Fund unless otherwise specified by the Legislature.

SECTION 3. Section 25-53-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-53-51. To qualify for the position of information confidentiality officer a person must:

(a) Be an employee of a state agency or institution in a position such that his duties require him to handle or process or supervise the handling or processing of data in conjunction with the use of automated information technology equipment for an agency or institution other than that for whom he is regularly employed.

(b) Have been continuously employed for a period of at least one hundred eighty (180) days by such agency or institution or have successfully been cleared for employment through an investigation that shall consist of a determination as to good moral character and that the prospective employee has not been convicted of a felony. In order to determine the applicant's suitability for employment at the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, the applicant shall be fingerprinted. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the fingerprints shall be forwarded by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. A prospective employee may be provisionally employed based on a reference check by the employing agency pending final receipt of the results of a national criminal history record check for a period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days.

(c) Successfully complete a suitable instructional course on the subjects of information security, privacy and confidentiality and protection, to be developed and taught under the supervision of the executive director. An employee may work in a provisional capacity under the direct supervision of an information confidentiality officer as part of an on-the-job training program while completing instructional requirements, for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days.

(d) Be duly sworn to the following oath: "I, ______, do solemnly swear to protect and uphold the confidentiality of all information that may come to my knowledge that is designated as 'confidential information' by another state agency or institution for which I may handle or process in the normal course of my duties. I swear to exercise reasonable care in the handling and processing of all such designated data and further that I will not reveal or otherwise divulge information from such data obtained. I understand that proven violation of this oath will subject me to forfeiture of my bond and dismissal from employment."

(e) Enter into bond in the minimum amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) with a surety company authorized to do business in the state, and conditioned to pay the full amount thereof as liquidated damages to any person about whom confidential information is disclosed in violation of his oath.

(f) Be identified by a wallet-sized identification card with a picture of the person to be carried at all times while on duty.

SECTION 4. Section 25-53-123, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

25-53-123. (1) The only method of procurement permitted for the acquisition of nonregulated telecommunications systems, including equipment and related services, shall be in conformity with the following requirements: All acquisitions of telecommunications equipment, systems and related services involving the expenditures of funds in excess of the dollar amount established in Section 31-7-13(c), or rentals or leases in excess of the dollar amount established in Section 31-7-13(c), for the term of the contract, shall be based upon competitive and open specifications, and contracts therefor shall be entered into only after advertisements for bids are published in one or more daily newspapers having a general circulation in the state not less than fourteen (14) days prior to receiving sealed bids therefor. The authority may reserve the right to reject any or all bids, and if all bids are rejected, the authority may negotiate a contract within the limitations of the specifications so long as the terms of any such negotiated contract are equal to or better than the comparable terms submitted by the lowest and best bidder, and so long as the total cost to the State of Mississippi does not exceed the lowest bid. If the authority accepts one (1) of such bids, it shall be that which is the lowest and best.

(2) When applicable, the bureau may procure equipment, systems and related services in accordance with the law or regulations, or both, which govern the Bureau of Purchasing of the Governor's Office of General Services or which govern the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services procurement of computer equipment, software and services.

SECTION 5. Section 25-53-103, Mississippi Code of 1972, which prescribes definitions for certain terms used in the sections of law that place responsibility for acquisition, operation and maintenance of telecommunication systems in the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, is repealed.

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.