In 2007, the state created an agency (then the Office of Technology, predecessor to the current Office of MN.IT Services) to have responsibilities and duties relating to the state’s information technology and required the new agency to provide certain IT services to state agencies. This began the state’s so-called “IT consolidation.”

Section 1 establishes a legislative commission tasked to review consolidation of the state’s information technology into one agency.  The commission has eight members who are legislators and is required to report by April 30, 2018, to chairs of legislative committees with jurisdiction over state government policy and finance.  Section 1 specifies information that must be addressed in the report, including comparisons of FTEs, costs, effectiveness, and responsiveness of IT services now compared to prior to consolidation.

Section 1 specifies election of a chair, that meetings are subject to the legislature’s open meeting law, and that the Legislative Coordinating Council will provide administration services for the commission.  The commission sunsets after producing its report or April 30, 2018, whichever is earlier.

Section 2 sets deadlines for appointments and for the member designated by the senate majority leader to convene the first meeting.