Information Technology - Establishment of the Office of Enterprise Data and State Chief Data Officer and Collaboration With Agency Data Officers
HB0268 would create a new statewide data governance structure within the Maryland Department of Information Technology. The bill establishes the Office of Enterprise Data and a State Chief Data Officer, who would be responsible for coordinating statewide data strategy, issuing policies and standards, publishing an annual strategic plan, convening an enterprise data council, and developing guidance for the responsible use of data with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The bill also defines key terms related to data management, data quality, data literacy, data sharing, and data readiness.
The measure requires each principal department to appoint an Agency Data Officer, with optional appointments allowed for other state units. These officers would work with the State Chief Data Officer to manage data policies, quality, privacy, risk, sharing, inventories, open data plans, and training. The Office of Enterprise Data would also be tasked with compiling an authoritative inventory of state data, setting interoperability and metadata standards, and supporting annual certification and recertification for agency data officers. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
The bill would add a new section to the State Finance and Procurement Article, creating a formal statewide framework for data governance and interagency data coordination. It would impose new duties on the Department of Information Technology, principal departments, and designated agency data officers, while also requiring staffing support for the new office. In practice, it would affect how state agencies collect, manage, share, publish, and protect data, including rules around privacy, de-identification, open data planning, and compliance with statewide standards.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes are available, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. The bill’s text suggests a generally administrative and modernization-oriented purpose, emphasizing efficiency, security, transparency, and ethical data use. However, the fact that the bill was ultimately withdrawn by the sponsor indicates it did not advance to enactment in this form.
The main likely points of contention are the scope of centralized authority given to the State Chief Data Officer, the mandatory obligations placed on principal departments, and the resource burden of creating and staffing a new office and agency-level data officer roles. Potential concerns also include privacy, cybersecurity, interagency data sharing, and how much discretion agencies retain over their own data practices. Because no transcripts are available, specific objections or supporters cannot be identified from the record provided.