Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have required California to develop a performance evaluation system for vendors awarded large state IT contracts.
“While holding technology contractors accountable for their performance is important, this bill is not necessary because it duplicates what the Department of Technology is already doing,” Brown wrote in his veto message on AB 522 sent out Wednesday.
A task force convened in 2014 by the Department of Technology is continuing to work on the parameters of a vendor performance system. The department said earlier this year it intends to pilot the system sometime in early 2016.
AB 522 was introduced by Assemblymember Autumn Burke, D-Inglewood. Earlier this year Burke amended the bill so that only projects reportable to the Department of Technology would be included in the vendor evaluation system. Last month a coalition of technology industry groups asked Brown to veto the legislation, saying the bill lacks clarity, is redundant of the Department of Technology's efforts, and doesn't adequately factor in the performance of state agencies in IT project success.
Burke's office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
