BILL ANALYSIS


                                                     C.S.S.B. 621
                                                       By: Harris
                                                    State Affairs
                                                          4-10-95
                                   Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Under current law, a person's application for a state license may
be denied by one licensing agency but approved by another agency.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 621 requires licensing agencies to share
certain background information regarding license applicants and
license holders.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted
to the Commissioner of Licensing and Regulation under SECTION 1
(Sec. 2(c), Art. 9105, V.T.C.S.) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Title 132A, V.T.C.S., by adding Article 9105, as
follows:

              Art. 9105.  LICENSING CLEARINGHOUSE

     Sec. 1.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "commissioner," "department,"
     "license," and "licensing agency."
     
     Sec. 2.  LICENSE HOLDER BACKGROUND CLEARINGHOUSE.  (a) 
     Requires the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
     (department) to operate and maintain a clearinghouse for the
     gathering and dissemination of information about license
     holders and applicants for a license in this state.
     
     (b)  Requires the clearinghouse created under this section
       to be established by the commissioner of licensing and
       regulation (commissioner) in the manner determined by the
       commissioner to be the most practical and convenient means
       of accomplishing the department's duties under this article.
       
       (c)  Requires the commissioner to adopt rules for the
       establishment and operation of the clearinghouse, including
       rules that identify the agencies that are required to
       provide information to and are eligible to receive
       information from the clearinghouse.  Requires the
       commissioner to designate no more than 10 licensing agencies
       to participate in the clearinghouse.
       
       (d)  Requires the costs of creating and operating the
       clearinghouse to be shared among the licensing agencies that
       receive information from the clearinghouse.  Requires each
       participating agency designated by the commissioner to enter
       into an interagency contract with the commission regarding
       the payment of those costs.
       
     Sec. 3.  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN CLEARINGHOUSE.  (a)  Requires
     a licensing agency designated by the commissioner to send to
     the clearinghouse certain information concerning persons who
     hold and apply for a license issued by the licensing agency.
     
     (b)  Requires the information to be sent to include the name
       of an applicant who is refused a license and reason for the
       refusal, the name of the license holder whose license is
       revoked or suspended and the reason for revocation or
       suspension, the name of a license holder who is subject to
       disciplinary action, and any other information necessary for
       the purposes of this article required by rules adopted by
       the commissioner.
       
     Sec. 4.  REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.  (a)  Requires the
     commissioner to report to the legislature on the operation of
     the clearinghouse on or before January 1, 1997.
     
       (b)  Requires the report to include certain statistics, an
       evaluation, and recommendations relating to the
       clearinghouse.
       
       (c)  Provides that this section expires December 31, 1997.
SECTION 2. Effective date:  September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.