SPRINGFIELD — By clarifying the scope the Department of Innovation and Technology, a new law led by State Senator Graciela Guzmán will help make state government agencies more efficient.

“Without clarity of an organization’s responsibilities, there will be countless misunderstandings between agencies that result in delays in service for the people of Illinois,” said Senator Guzmán (D-Chicago). “I fought for this legislation so that state employees have more clarity on inter-agency collaboration so that we can provide supports to Illinoisans as soon as possible.” 

House Bill 1631 clarifies the role of DoIT by outlining what agencies DoIT is required to cover. It establishes that DoIT is only required to cover transferred agencies, and while they may assist other state agencies if said agency requests them to, they are not required to do so. These clarifications reduce the burden DoIT has faced from state agencies expecting them to complete more requests than they had capacity to address, and will clear up the role of DoIT compared to other state agencies. 

"As new technologies emerge, it's essential that we keep modernizing our state agencies to ensure that every level of government in Illinois operates efficiently and securely,” said State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, the House sponsor of the legislation. “HB 1631 is common sense reform. Smarter government means better results for working families." 

House Bill 1631 was signed into law on Aug. 15.