Legislation

A look at the legislation affecting outsourcing.

Articles:

Legislative Constraints on International Outsourcing: State Studies Impact of Outsourcing and Offshoring. State  Assembly resolved in March 2005 to conduct a study on the impact of outsourcing and offshoring. Lobbyists go the legislators to include a study of the inbound benefits of outsourcing and offshoring to the state. For the text of this draft, see: www.outsourcing-law.com/legislation/USA/A_Res_184(2005).htm

Procurement Outsourcing: A state considers promoting the outsourcing of the procurement and purchasing functions presently conducted by state employees. The draft law, submitted to the state Senate's Finance Committee, has raised a fire storm of objections by the American trade association representing state procurement officers. For the text of this draft legislation, see: (Registration Required) www.outsourcing-law.com/legislation/USA/SB160(2005).htm

State and Local Outsourcing of Information Technology: On November 28, 2006, IBM and the State of Texas announced the signature of an agreement to renew and expand a 1996 data center services outsourcing agreement.  The seven-year IT outsourcing contract is valued at $863 million and has three optional extensions.  The deal looks like an old deal that might have been signed in 1996, but with new twists.  What’s new in the last ten years in contract structuring for state and local government outsourcing contracts for information technology?  See www.outsourcing-law.com/1066state_and_local_government_Texas.htm.

European Community: A Services Directive at Last- On December 27, 2006, the European Union’s Parliament and Council of the European Union adopted Directive 2006/123/EC on “Services in the Internal Market.”  This pivotal directive represents the culmination of additional year’s negotiations following the failure to adopt a prior services directive on the same subject.  It represents an important step in cross-border flow of services within the European Union.  More importantly, it distinguishes between rights of establishment and rights to provide and receive services across member states.  See www.outsourcing-law.com/1070-Euro_Services_Directive_2006.htm.

Economic Crime: Abuse of Telephone Records-  On January 12, 2007, President Bush signed the Telephone Records and Privacy Act of 2006.   The new law makes it a crime to buy or sell fraudulently obtained “confidential phone records information of a covered entity.”   See http://www.outsourcing-law.com/1071-Telephone_Records_Privacy_Act_2006.htm.