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

A. The Council on Information Management Department of Technology Planning shall award grants to initiate and study special technology projects and needs of state agencies and institutions of higher education. The Council Department shall fund the grants in the first year from the Virginia Technology Infrastructure Fund, as a nongeneral nonreverting special fund, as provided in § 3-1.02 E of this act. Out of the amount for Other Services, $100,000 is designated from the general fund in the second year solely for this purpose.

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 Technology.

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.a. 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.

b. The Director of the Project Office shall report unacceptable agency progress to the affected Cabinet Secretary and to the Governor's Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff may direct the Project Office to assume responsibility for the management of an agency's Y2K project for the period of time considered necessary by the Director.

c. For agencies whose Y2K management efforts are the responsibility of the Project Office, the Project Office shall have responsibility for operational decisions relative to the Y2K efforts.

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 Year 2000 computer date change initiatives will be allotted by the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget on or about July 1 of each year, provided the agency or institution's plans have been reviewed and approved by the Director of the Project Office, consistent with the provisions and appropriations provided for in this act. In the case of any agency or institution where the plans have not been approved, funds will be unallotted on July 1 of each year by the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget, and they shall be allotted to the agency or institution only after the Project Office Director approves the agency's plans and so indicates to the Department of Planning and Budget. The Director of the Project Office shall strive to complete plan reviews within 30 business days of their receipt, and shall report to the Secretary of Technology and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on plans which are not approved within the thirty day period, and the reasons why the plans have not been approved.

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.

8. Included in this appropriation is $25,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year which shall be used to establish a toll-free telecommunications "Hotline" to provide technical assistance to local government agencies and institutions regarding Year 2000 Computer Date Change issues. Any amount for this program remaining at the end of the first year shall be carried forward to the second year, as the Director of the Project Office may request.

C.1.a) The amounts provided in the subprogram Geographic Information Access Services shall be expended for the Virginia Geographic Information Network Division in the Council on Information Management Department of Technology Planning. The amounts include $101,895 from nongeneral funds the first year which the Division shall recover 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 Technology.

b) The Council on Information Management Department of Technology Planning, in conjunction with the Council on Technology Services, shall establish initial guidelines, standards, and operating policies and procedures for effective management of geographic information systems in the Commonwealth. The initial guidelines and related procedures shall be submitted to the Secretary of Technology for approval. Prior to approval, the Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Natural Resources, and Transportation shall be afforded an opportunity to review and comment on the guidelines and related procedures.

c) After approval by the Secretary of Technology, all state and nonstate agencies receiving an appropriation in §§ 1-1 through 1-135 of this act, shall comply with the guidelines and related procedures.

2. The Council on Information Management Department of Technology Planning 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.