Are agencies required to submit the Designation Letter by January 31st of each year, or when the designee changes?

Yes. This is very important to provide the California Information Security Office (CISO) with the names and contact information for individuals authorized by the agency director to handle key information security functions.  The CISO may need to reach these individuals in the event that security, technology recovery and privacy protection issues arise.  One of the benefits of filing the SIMM 5330-A – Designation Letter (PDF) is to ensure the designees receive important early warnings, policy updates, and news about upcoming events as it is released.