Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 1438 adopts the Self-Directed Semi-Independent Agency Project Act, under which budgets of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, Texas Board of Professional Engineers, and Texas Board of Architectural Examiners are approved only by their governing boards, rather than by the legislature, and the agencies retain and administer most fee revenue, except for certain annual remittances to the general revenue fund. Other provisions of the act clarify the limits of state liability and the applicability of open government laws, state auditor audits, attorney general representation in lawsuits, and Employee Retirement System participation. The act addresses contracting and property lease and management powers and requires biennial reports to the governor and legislature on budgetary and spending matters and on agency activities, respectively. It appropriates to each agency, for transition purposes, a repayable amount equal to half the agency's FY1999 appropriation. The new act has the status of a pilot project and is subject to sunset review. Unless continued, it expires September 1, 2003. Minor conforming amendments address two of the agencies' enabling statutes.