By Reyna                                              H.B. No. 1422
          Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1422:
          By Driver                                         C.S.H.B. No. 1422
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to certain fees charged by local recording agents.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article 21.35A, Insurance Code, is amended by
    1-5  adding a new Subsection (c) and by amending and renumbering
    1-6  Subsection (c) as Subsection (d) to read as follows:
    1-7        (c)  A local recording agent is not prohibited from charging
    1-8  a reasonable fee for services rendered to a client.  Those services
    1-9  may include:
   1-10              (1)  special delivery or postal charges;
   1-11              (2)  printing and reproduction costs;
   1-12              (3)  electronic mail costs;
   1-13              (4)  telephone transmission costs; and
   1-14              (5)  similar costs that the agent incurs on behalf of
   1-15  the client.
   1-16        (d) <(c)>  An agent may not charge a client a fee under this
   1-17  article unless the agent notifies the client of the agent's fee or
   1-18  reimbursement requirement and obtains the client's written consent
   1-19  for each fee charged before the agent incurs the expense for the
   1-20  client.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  Article 21.35B, Insurance Code, is amended to
   1-22  read as follows:
   1-23        Art. 21.35B.  Permissible Payments.  (a)  No payment may be
   1-24  solicited or collected by an insurer, its agent, or sponsoring
    2-1  organization in connection with an application for insurance or the
    2-2  issuance of a policy other than:
    2-3              (1)  premiums;<,>
    2-4              (2)  taxes;<,>
    2-5              (3)  finance charges;<,>
    2-6              (4)  policy fees;<,>
    2-7              (5)  agent fees;<,>
    2-8              (6)  service fees, including charges for costs
    2-9  described under Article 21.35A of this code;
   2-10              (7)  inspection fees;<,> or
   2-11              (8)  membership dues in a sponsoring organization.
   2-12        (b)  The commissioner by rule shall permit sponsoring
   2-13  organizations to solicit voluntary contributions with a membership
   2-14  renewal solicitation when the membership renewal solicitation is
   2-15  separate from an insurance billing.
   2-16        (c) <(b)>  Criminal penalties for violation of this article
   2-17  are as provided for under Section 13, Article 21.49-1 of this code.
   2-18        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-23  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-24  passage, and it is so enacted.