By:  Finnell                                          H.B. No. 1053
       73R4086 JRD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the use of frequent flyer bonuses awarded to certain
    1-3  state officers and employees.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 14, State Purchasing and General Services
    1-6  Act (Article 601b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by
    1-7  adding Section 14.05 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 14.05.  FREQUENT FLYER BONUSES.  (a)  In this section,
    1-9  "frequent flyer bonus" means a credit that:
   1-10              (1)  is given to a person by an airline in return for
   1-11  that person or another person using the airline for air travel; and
   1-12              (2)  can be used as payment for other air travel,
   1-13  automobile rentals, hotel or motel accommodations, or other
   1-14  services or items.
   1-15        (b)  Each officer or employee of a state agency shall report
   1-16  to the person in the agency responsible for administering the
   1-17  agency's travel any frequent flyer bonus to which the officer or
   1-18  employee becomes entitled as a result of the officer's or
   1-19  employee's air travel that is paid for from state agency funds.
   1-20  The officer or employee shall deliver to the person in the agency
   1-21  responsible for administering the agency's travel  any validations,
   1-22  coupons, certificates, or other documents required to use or
   1-23  acquire the bonus.  The state agency shall keep a record of the
   1-24  reported bonuses.
    2-1        (c)  The person in the agency responsible for administering
    2-2  the agency's travel shall credit a bonus to an account to be
    2-3  maintained for the officer or employee to whom the bonus was given.
    2-4  The bonuses in an officer's or employee's account may only be used,
    2-5  with the approval of the state agency and in accordance with rules
    2-6  adopted by the commission, to pay for air travel or other items
    2-7  needed by that officer or employee in an official capacity.
    2-8        (d)  Each state agency shall report to the central travel
    2-9  office the acquisition and use of bonuses by its officers and
   2-10  employees.  The central travel office shall calculate the amount of
   2-11  travel costs saved by the state through the use of bonuses.
   2-12        (e)  The central travel office shall inform state agencies of
   2-13  the requirements of this section, including rules adopted under
   2-14  this section.  The state agencies shall assist the commission in
   2-15  gaining the compliance of the agencies' officers and employees with
   2-16  the requirements.
   2-17        (f)  The commission by rule may change the manner in which
   2-18  frequent flyer bonuses are administered under this section as
   2-19  necessary to conform to regulations of an airline or as necessary
   2-20  to ensure that the bonuses are used in a manner most advantageous
   2-21  to the state.
   2-22        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-23        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-26  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-27  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.