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To: Technology
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Williams, Blackmon
SENATE BILL NO. 2653
AN ACT TO ENACT THE MISSISSIPPI IT OPTIMIZATION ACT; TO 1
DEFINE TERMS; TO ESTABLISH THE STATEWIDE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 2
OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM WHICH SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE COORDINATED 3
PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND OVERSIGHT OF THE 4
ENTERPRISE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURE; TO PROVIDE FOR THE 5
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN 6
EFFECTUATING THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE EACH AGENCY'S EXECUTIVE 7
DIRECTOR OR AGENCY HEAD TO COMPLY WITH THIS ACT IN CERTAIN WAYS; 8
TO PROVIDE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY OPTIMIZATION PROGRAM SHALL BE 9
MANAGED BY ITS AND EXTERNALLY SUPPORTED BY THE CIO COUNCIL; TO 10
PROVIDE THAT SENSITIVE INFORMATION, RECORDS AND DOCUMENTATION 11
SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC 12
RECORDS ACT AND THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE 13
PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED BY PHASE; TO GRANT 14
PERMISSION TO CERTAIN PARTIES TO USE ACQUISITIONS MADE ON BEHALF 15
OF OR BY ITS FOR PURPOSES OF SHARED USE; TO AUTHORIZE ITS TO 16
RECEIVE DONATIONS, GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDING; TO AUTHORIZE ITS TO 17
DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN INTERNSHIP, FELLOWSHIP OR OTHER RELATED 18
PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE FOR FUNDS DESIGNATED BY AGENCIES FOR 19
PROCUREMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; TO AUTHORIZE ITS TO 20
EXERCISE ALL POWERS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PURPOSES OF THIS 21
ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 22
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 23
SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited 24
as the "Mississippi IT Optimization Act." 25
(2) As used in this chapter, all words and phrases used 26
herein shall have the meanings as are ascribed to and provided for 27
them in Section 25-53-3, and the following words shall have the 28
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meanings ascribed herein unless context clearly requires 29
otherwise: 30
(a) "Information technology enterprise architecture" 31
means the framework used to manage and align the business 32
processes, information systems, data and other technology 33
infrastructure of state government with statewide information 34
technology strategic goals. 35
(b) "Information technology enterprise application 36
portfolio" means the statewide inventory and analysis of 37
information technology systems and applications operated by state 38
agencies. 39
(c) "Information technology enterprise architecture 40
review" means the review conducted by ITS under subsection (4)(e) 41
of this section to determine whether proposed agency information 42
technology investments comply with statewide information 43
technology enterprise architecture standards. 44
(3) There is hereby established the Statewide Information 45
Technology Optimization Program, which shall provide for the 46
coordinated planning, development, implementation and oversight of 47
enterprise information technology architecture for all state 48
agencies for all information technology as defined under Section 49
25-53-3. The program shall establish statewide information 50
technology architecture standards, ensure alignment of agency 51
technology plans with statewide enterprise objectives, support 52
efficient and secure information technology investments, increase 53
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shared information technology and reduce unnecessary duplication 54
of systems, services and recourses across state government. For 55
the purposes of this section, "architecture" only applies to 56
information technology and is not intended to be defined as 57
governed by Title 73, Mississippi Code of 1972. 58
(4) The Mississippi Department of Information Technology 59
Services ("ITS"), in collaboration with all state agencies, shall 60
provide centralized management and coordination of the statewide 61
information technology enterprise architecture. ITS is authorized 62
to effectuate this program, which includes the following duties 63
and responsibilities: 64
(a) Serve as the sole authority for defining the 65
statewide information technology enterprise architecture, 66
including the enterprise business architecture, data and 67
information architecture, application architecture, technology and 68
infrastructure architecture, cloud architecture and security 69
architecture; 70
(b) Develop, maintain and publish statewide enterprise 71
information technology architecture standards, policies, 72
principles and guidelines to be implemented by all state agencies 73
to the extent that they apply; 74
(c) Develop and maintain a statewide enterprise 75
information technology application portfolio, including 76
application inventory, lifecycle status, technical dependencies, 77
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costs, security requirements and integration mappings for all 78
systems operated by state agencies; 79
(d) In addition to technology plans, review and 80
evaluate agency information, technology strategies and future 81
plans to ensure they align with statewide enterprise information 82
technology architecture standards and statewide strategic 83
technology goals and objectives; 84
(e) Conduct an Information Technology Enterprise 85
Architecture Review in accordance with ITS published policies, 86
rules or regulations of proposed agency information technology 87
acquisitions, projects, systems or services prior to procurement 88
or implementation to ensure compliance with statewide standards, 89
avoid duplication, promote interoperability and ensure alignment 90
with the Strategic Master Plan for Information Technology; 91
(f) Identify and recommend to the ITS Board 92
opportunities for enterprise information technology services, 93
system consolidation, shared platform adoption, cloud 94
modernization and reduction of redundant or obsolete systems; 95
(g) Collaborate with the Office of the Chief 96
Information Security Officer to ensure that all information 97
technology enterprise architecture standards incorporate statewide 98
cybersecurity requirements; 99
(h) Ensure, as applicable, that information technology 100
enterprise architecture requirements and standards are 101
incorporated as minimum requirements in all solicitations for the 102
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procurement of data, information technology systems, software, 103
telecommunications, cloud services and related services; 104
(i) Provide guidance and technical assistance to 105
agencies for planning and implementing technology solutions that 106
comply with enterprise architecture requirements, as appropriate; 107
(j) Prepare and submit periodic reports on information 108
technology enterprise architecture compliance, statewide 109
technology alignment, and modernization opportunities to the ITS 110
Board, CIO Council and the chairpersons of the Technology 111
Committees of the Mississippi State Senate and House of 112
Representatives; and 113
(k) Promulgate policies, rules and regulations 114
necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. 115
(5) Each state agency's executive director or agency head 116
shall: 117
(a) Align, as applicable, the agency's technology 118
plans, investments and systems with the statewide information 119
technology enterprise architecture standards established by ITS; 120
(b) Participate, to the fullest extent feasible, in the 121
statewide Technology Optimization Program and utilize enterprise 122
services and shared platforms in lieu of standalone or duplicative 123
systems specific to the agency; 124
(c) Submit all proposed information technology 125
projects, acquisitions or system changes to ITS for review prior 126
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to any solicitation, procurement, contract amendment or 127
implementation, as determined by ITS; 128
(d) Provide timely, complete and accurate information 129
for inclusion in the statewide information technology enterprise 130
application portfolio; 131
(e) Develop or adopt, implement and maintain internal 132
agency information technology architecture guidelines that support 133
the statewide enterprise architecture standards; and 134
(f) Ensure that all solicitations, contracts, 135
amendments and technology initiatives undertaken by the agency 136
incorporate and comply with statewide information technology 137
enterprise architecture requirements. 138
(6) The Technology Optimization Program shall be managed by 139
ITS and externally supported by the Chief Information Officer 140
("CIO") Council established in Section 25-53-281. The CIO Council 141
shall provide guidance on statewide enterprise architecture 142
standards, identify shared opportunities, support interagency 143
collaboration and provide recommendations on information 144
technology enterprise architecture compliance and exceptions. The 145
ITS Board shall provide statutory oversight of statewide 146
information technology policies, standards, planning and 147
procurements. 148
(7) Records and documentation generated or meetings that 149
occur pursuant to this section that contain sensitive information 150
related to security, infrastructure or statewide information 151
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technology architecture shall be exempt from the requirements of 152
the Mississippi Public Records Act and the Open Meetings Act. 153
(8) The provisions of this section shall be implemented in a 154
phased manner according to timelines established by ITS. All 155
state agencies must comply with the requirements of this section. 156
(9) Any information technology acquisition made on behalf of 157
or by ITS for purposes of shared use, the following entities may 158
utilize such acquisitions or contracts in accordance with ITS 159
rules and procedures: 160
(a) State agencies; 161
(b) Public and private institutions of higher learning; 162
(c) Local political subdivisions of the state, 163
including governing authorities; and 164
(d) Community and junior colleges. 165
(10) ITS is authorized to receive donations, grants and 166
other funding from any public or private source that may be 167
available to support its mission. Any funds donated or received 168
for this purpose shall be deposited in the Technology Innovation 169
Fund. 170
(11) ITS is authorized to develop and implement an 171
internship, fellowship or other related programs for the purposes 172
of strengthening a network of professionals committed to the 173
mission of ITS as provided in Section 25-53-1 et seq., and by 174
fostering innovation and supporting research and practice in the 175
field of information technology in Mississippi state government. 176
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ST: Mississippi IT Optimization Act; enact.
(12) All funds designated by agencies for procurement of 177
information technology provided by ITS to its customers for shared 178
use shall be paid into the ITS Revolving Fund, which monies shall 179
be used by ITS for payment to vendors for hardware, software or 180
services acquired. Payments due from such agency shall be paid, 181
transferred or allocated into the ITS Revolving Fund pursuant to a 182
schedule established by ITS. In the event such sums are not paid 183
by the defined payment period, the Executive Director of the 184
Department of Finance and Administration shall issue a requisition 185
for a warrant to draw such amount as may be due from any funds 186
appropriated for the use of the agency which has failed to make 187
the payment as agreed. 188
(13) ITS is hereby authorized to exercise all powers 189
necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section. 190
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified in 191
Chapter 53, Title 25, Mississippi Code of 1972. 192
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 193
and after July 1, 2026. 194