The Senate Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs committee advanced legislation to realign certain information-technology project-management responsibilities under the Office of State Technology, sponsor Representative Scott Richardson said.

"This aligns project technology project management underneath the office of state technology to ensure that all of our technology resources are focused," Richardson said, describing the bill as part of a broader state efficiency initiative he identified as "Arkansas Forward." He said the proposal aims to prioritize projects, improve reporting and ensure the state gets the best product for its funding.

Committee members asked agency staff how the bill would change day-to-day procurement and equipment decisions. A witness identified as Joe (agency representative) explained the bill would establish IT governance across the 15 executive-branch departments, set standards and require departments to justify purchases that exceed standard configurations. "A standard laptop should be about $1,200, but sometimes we see people purchasing laptops that are $2,400, $2,500," the witness said, arguing governance should require justification for higher-cost purchases.

Asked about data sharing across agencies, Richardson said a separate bill, House Bill 1547, would require departments to name data stewards and set data-sharing agreements; that bill had already been sent to the governor's office. Committee members asked whether state contracts or cooperative contracts (NASPO) would still be used; agency staff said most purchases are on state or NASPO contracts and larger projects would still go out for RFP.

With no public testimony recorded, the committee moved to send the bill forward. Senator Scott moved the motion and Senator Johnson seconded; the chair called the ayes and the bill passed in committee.

The transcript records committee discussion about governance, procurement standards and reporting but does not include specific fiscal impacts or an implementation timeline.