Charleston, WV -- West Virginia is making strides to bring the state's management of technology up topar with other states. During the 2021 Legislative Session, Senate Bill 486 passed both the House and
Senate with a sweeping vote of “Yeas” and was signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice. After sitting
untouched since 2006, the bill modernizes existing language in W. Va. Code §5A-6, bringing about some
significant changes and further streamlining processes.
The new law, which expands the West Virginia Office of Technology (WVOT) Chief Technology Officer’s
(CTO) responsibilities, allows the CTO to provide information technology governance across
departments and agencies statewide. With the changes, the Office of Technology and CTO will be better
positioned to identify efficiencies in information technology, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and
opportunities for resource sharing across all the executive branch
“You don’t buy a computer for the sake of buying a computer,” said West Virginia CTO Josh Spence.
“Any purchase should have an intended purpose, especially those with state taxpayer dollars at stake. In
government, the intended purpose of technology investments should align with government business
goals, such as improving citizen services or bringing efficiency to government operations to reduce
costs.”
Among the most substantive changes made to W. Va. Code §5A-6 was the reference of “Chief
Technology Officer,” used to describe the governor-appointed head of the WVOT, changed to “Chief
Information Officer” (CIO) to encapsulate the significance of the position’s role as more than just an information technology manager, something most other states had already done. Definitions were also
updated to reflect language from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
In the last year, the CTO and his team provided crucial technology services empowering agencies to
adapt to the challenges of the pandemic and remote work and implemented enhanced service offerings,
upgraded technology infrastructure and cyber security capabilities while supporting a myriad of agencydriven projects. Among its most notable achievements is the ongoing transition to Google Workspace,
which will offer training and resources to more than 22,000 state employees on advanced productivity
software, providing opportunities to modernize daily processes while reducing technology infrastructure
costs.
“Empowering and supporting the efficient, effective, and protected use of technology by state agencies
is WVOT’s foundational purpose,” shared Spence.
Other significant updates made as a result of Senate Bill 486 include giving the CIO authority to request
resources for technology, including personnel, through a federal program for cybersecurity; charging the
CIO to assemble a state technology portfolio, which builds the business case behind West Virginia’s
technology investments and provides visibility and transparency; charging the WVOT’s Project
Management Office with overseeing technology projects exceeding $250,000; and codifying an advisory
committee (previously enacted through an executive order) made up of representatives from various
departments to provide advice and make recommendations, with the CIO as the chair.
According to Spence, technology has become a critical component of government, a role likely to only
become larger. He said this law moves the state in the right direction of ensuring West Virginia not only
invests in technology but makes the right tech investments.
The revised law went into effect July 7, 2021, and the enrolled version of the bill can be found online at
https://bit.ly/3grrzkr.