Report: State still has work to do on Y2K
JENNIFER KERR, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, July 21, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/07/21/state0245EDT0177.DTL

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

(07-21) 02:45 EDT SACRAMENTO (AP) -- State computers tracking whether cars have passed their smog tests and when teen criminals should be released are still vulnerable to Year 2000 problems, according to a new state report.

The report says many state agencies are making substantial progress toward fixing the complex computer systems that bring services to Californians.

However, a few -- including offices that run the Smog Check program, punish juvenile delinquents and catch poachers -- are lagging in their efforts, according to a quarterly report released by the Department of Information Technology, which is directing the state's Y2K efforts for Gov. Gray Davis.

The governor last winter gave state agencies until Sept. 1 to finish preparing their computer systems for the Year 2000.

The Y2K bug results from the inability of some computers to read all four digits of a year: for example, 1999 instead of 99. That could cause trouble in 2000 ranging from minor miscalculations to system failures.

Agencies that won't meet the deadline must write backup plans detailing how they will deliver the services. Most are just getting started on those plans, the report said.

But the program established under the governor's Y2K order has resulted in ``some major positive improvement,'' Elias Cortez, director of the department, said Tuesday.

The state has identified 453 ``mission-critical'' systems, those that provide the most crucial state services to Californians. They involve a total of 34 state agencies.

The report rated two of the agencies, the Youth Authority and the Department of Fish and Game, as ``high risk'' -- meaning they are less than 50 percent done fixing critical systems and will not meet the Sept. 1 deadline.

Eight of the Youth Authority's 12 mission-critical systems are not fixed and two of those aren't expected to be finished until close to the end of the year -- dangerously near the crucial Jan. 1 date.

One of those, the Offender Based Information Tracking System, keeps track of 7,500 teen criminals in 11 institutions and camps, including their whereabouts, histories, disciplinary actions and release dates. The system is only 50 percent fixed and won't be done until Nov. 19.

Only one of Fish and Game's 10 mission-critical systems is fixed. Two of its computer networks, which keep track of patrols by wardens and responses to toxic spills, won't be ready until Nov. 22.

Six of the agencies are rated as having ``medium-high'' risk, which means they are 50 percent to 70 percent complete and have at least one system that is likely not to meet the Sept. 1 deadline.

Those include the Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the Bureau of Automotive Repair, which runs the Smog Check program to test anti-smog equipment of most Californians' cars.

Two of the bureau's important connections with outside contractors are only 10 percent and 25 percent completed and aren't expected to be done until next month.

One of those programs sends the results of motorists' Smog Check inspections to the Department of Motor Vehicles to determine if the vehicles can be legally registered. The other tells the bureau when smog technicians have passed an exam so the bureau can issue a license.

State lawmakers following the state's progress were generally pleased with the latest report.

``The fact that they so candidly red-flagged certain departments, certain commuter functions, is a good sign to us that they truly know what needs to be done and will get it done,'' said Rand Martin, chief of staff for Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara, one of the lawmakers who has been holding hearings on Y2K progress.

The report found that six of the agencies are 70 percent to 90 percent done and are likely to finish by Sept. 1. The remaining 20 are 90 percent or more finished fixing all of their mission-critical systems and will meet Davis' Sept. 1 deadline.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 21, 1999

Answers

Anyone interested in the status of California remediation should take a long look at the Senate site and the results as of the latest report. The graphics do a nice job of illustrating, by state, the readiness of federally-funded but state administered programs such as Medicaid and Child Care.

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/hearings/071599/index.html

Look at Senators Bennett and Lugar's statements for the links to the graphics. If you look throughout the Senate site, you'll find even more goodies for your reading pleasure.

Jeannie

-- jhollander (hollander@ij.net), July 21, 1999.

Cant quite find the latest report...

California--Department of Information Technology

http://www.doit.ca.gov/

California Year 2000 Site for all Y2K related information...

http:// www.year2000.ca.gov/main/main.asp

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 21, 1999.