Section 1 [Evaluation of Information Technology Projects] establishes a role for the Office of Legislative Auditor (“OLA”) to audit information technology projects.  This section is patterned after the role for the OLA in evaluating economic incentive programs that was enacted in 2015.  More specifically, this section does the following:

Subdivision 1 [Definition] defines “information technology project” as any project performed by the (new) Division of Information Technology under a service level agreement for a state agency.

Subdivision 2 [Selection of project for review; schedule for evaluation; report] establishes a process for the OLA to identify three to five information technology projects from which the Legislative Audit Commission will select at least one topic for an OLA review annually. In selecting the three to five topics, the OLA may consider both completed and ongoing projects and must give particular consideration to forensic review of high profile problematic projects from which recommendations might be developed to prevent problems on future projects.  The OLA will submit a written report to the Legislative Audit Commission on the reviewed topic.

Subdivision 3 [Evaluation plan] requires the OLA to specify an evaluation plan by November 1, 2018, that the OLA will use when reviewing information technology projects.

Section 2 [Creation] replaces the Office of MN.IT Services with a division within the Department of Administration called the “Division of Information Technology.”

Section 3 [Commissioner] adds a definition of “commissioner” that means commissioner of administration.

Section 4 [Responsibility for Information Technology Services and Equipment] limits the scope of responsibility for the chief information officer.  This section removes certain items from a list of goods and services the chief information officer is responsible for providing to agencies, to a list of items the chief information officer provides to agencies at the request of an agency. 

Section 5 [Division of Information Technology; Structure and Personnel] changes the appointing authority for a chief information officer from the governor to the commissioner of administration. This section changes the entity to whom the chief information officer reports from the governor to the commissioner of administration.

Section 6 [Consultation Required] limits the requirement that agencies consult with the Division of Information Technology about project cost to those projects that an agency has selected the division to perform. This section also makes a conforming change to transfer cost of the project to the commissioner of administration rather than to the Office of MN.IT Services.

Section 7 [Electronic Government Services] changes a requirement to a permission that agencies use a single entry site created by the chief information officer for online government services.

Section 8 [Information Technology Revolving Fund] changes to the name of a revolving fund for IT projects and changes the entity responsible for the fund from the chief information officer to the commissioner of administration.

Section 9 [Program Participation] eliminates authority of the chief information officer to require state agencies to participate in the planning and implementation of the network to provide interconnective technologies.

Section 10 [Office of MN.IT Services; Transfer] specifies that statutes apply that provide for the transfer of powers, duties, rights, and obligations from one agency to another.

Section 11 [Revisor’s Instruction] directs the Revisor of Statutes to make conforming changes.

Section 12 [Repealer] repeals a requirement that state agencies transfer any appropriation they receive for an IT project to the Office of MN.IT Services.