By Turner of Harris                                   H.B. No. 2685
       74R6705 CAG-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the prohibition of the practice of redlining by a
    1-3  governmental body or a person licensed by a licensing agency.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  In this Act:
    1-6              (1)  "Governmental body" means the state, a political
    1-7  subdivision of the state, or a department, commission, board,
    1-8  office, or other agency of the state or political subdivision.
    1-9              (2)  "License" includes a license, certificate,
   1-10  registration, permit, or other authorization required by law or
   1-11  state agency rule that a person must obtain to:
   1-12                    (A)  engage in a profession or occupation; or
   1-13                    (B)  sell a regulated commodity.
   1-14              (3)  "Licensing agency" means a department, commission,
   1-15  board, office, or other agency in the executive or judicial branch
   1-16  of state government that issues or renews a license either directly
   1-17  or through a private entity.
   1-18              (4)  "Redlining" means the practice of denying a
   1-19  service, commodity, good, or other thing of value or failing to
   1-20  offer a service, commodity, good, or other thing of value to a
   1-21  person solely because of the person's age, color, disability,
   1-22  marital status, sex, national origin, race, religion, medical
   1-23  condition, or residence in a specific geographic area.
   1-24        SECTION 2.  A governmental body, licensing agency, or a
    2-1  person holding a license issued by a licensing agency may not
    2-2  participate in, engage in, allow, or sanction the practice of
    2-3  redlining.
    2-4        SECTION 3.  A licensing agency shall, not later than January
    2-5  1, 1996, adopt rules or procedures that:
    2-6              (1)  eliminate the practice of redlining practiced by
    2-7  the agency;
    2-8              (2)  describe any prohibited practice of redlining in
    2-9  which a license holder may not engage; and
   2-10              (3)  require a license holder to report to the agency
   2-11  any practice of redlining known to the license holder related to
   2-12  the service, good, commodity or other thing of value offered by the
   2-13  license holder.
   2-14        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-19  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-20  passage, and it is so enacted.