Sec. 656.050. TRAINING IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATION FOR PURCHASES OF INFORMATION RESOURCES TECHNOLOGIES. (a) In this section:

(1) "Department" means the Department of Information Resources.

(2) "Information resources technologies" has the meaning assigned by Section 2054.003.

(a-1) The department, with the cooperation of the comptroller and other appropriate state agencies, shall develop and implement a program to train state agency personnel in effectively negotiating contracts for the purchase of information resources technologies.

(b) The department shall make the training available to state agency personnel who are directly or indirectly involved in contract negotiations, such as senior or operational management, purchasers, users of the purchased technologies, and personnel with relevant technical, legal, or financial knowledge. State agency personnel directly involved in contract negotiations for the purchase of information resources technologies shall complete the training developed by the department.

(c) The department shall include in the training:

(1) information on developing a structured purchasing method that meets an agency's needs;

(2) information drawn from the state's previous procurement experience about what is or is not advantageous for the state;

(3) the perspective of state agencies with oversight responsibilities related to the state's procurement of information resources technologies;

(4) information on how to use contracts entered into by the department under Section 2157.068; and

(5) other information that the department considers to be useful.

(d) The department may use its own staff or contract with private entities or other state agencies to conduct the training.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 538, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Renumbered from Government Code Sec. 2054.060 by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 19.01(56), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 937 (H.B. 3560), Sec. 1.65, eff. September 1, 2007.

Transferred, redesignated and amended from Government Code, Section 2054.057 by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 526 (S.B. 255), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2017.