Authority: Title 2.1, Chapter 35.2, Article 7, of Code of Virginia.

A. The Council on Information Management shall administer the Virginia Technology Infrastructure Fund, as a nongeneral nonreverting special fund, as provided in § 3-1.02E of this act. The purpose of the Fund is to initiate and study special technology projects and needs of state agencies and institutions of higher education.

B.1. The amounts provided in the subprogram Special Project Management shall be expended for the Century Date Change Initiative Project Office. The Project Office shall be headed by a Director who shall report directly to the Secretary of Administration.

2. The Project Office Director shall have all the powers necessary to direct the Commonwealth's efforts to make it compliant with the standards necessary to operate computers, computer applications, and other date sensitive electronic equipment after December 31, 1999. Specifically, the Director shall: (a) set statewide standards and prioritize Year 2000 ("Y2K") plans that involve the Commonwealth's business applications, information technology infrastructure, telecommunications infrastructure, process control systems and supply chain interfaces, (b) disseminate best practices and leverage tools and techniques, (c) prioritize Y2K compliance efforts and refine the Commonwealth's application prioritization scheme to ensure the largest and most business-critical applications are accurately identified, (d) monitor Y2K compliance progress by requiring agencies to develop Y2K plans with milestones for review and approval by the Director, (e) establish a Y2K compliance certification program, and (f) develop personnel retention policies and plans, including both financial incentives and targeted management retention.

3. All Executive Department agencies and institutions shall comply with the directives and reporting requirements established by the Director. Agency plans shall be available for review and modification by the Director.

4.a. No funds will be transferred from Item 548 for Y2K to any agency until the Director approves the agency's plans and milestones. The Director shall also approve the amount of transfer.

b. Any funds appropriated to an agency for Y2K will be unallotted on July 1 of each year by the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget and allotted only after the Project Office Director approves the agency's plans and so indicates to the Department of Planning and Budget.

5. Prior to the convening of the 1999 Session of the General Assembly, if the Project Office Director finds funding is insufficient, and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget concurs, the Governor is authorized to approve deficit funding for state agencies in accordance with § 4-3.00 of this act.

6. Legislative, Judicial, and Independent agencies shall work cooperatively with the Project Office Director to ensure Y2K compliance.

7. The Director shall make reports no less than quarterly to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on major aspects of the initiative, including status of funding needs, agencies at risk, and major problems and implications.

C.1. This Item includes $101,895 and one position the first year from nongeneral funds to establish the Geographic Information Network Division. The Council on Information Management shall recover these funds from agencies reporting to the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Natural Resources, and Transportation, based on a plan submitted to and approved by the Governor through the Secretary of Administration.

2. The Council on Information Management shall develop a work plan and operating budget to complete implementation of the Geographic Information Network Division in the second year. The work plan and budget shall be submitted to the Governor by October 1, 1998, for inclusion in the budget recommendations to the 1999 Session of the General Assembly. The plan shall address strategies for recovering the cost of operations.