IMF H.B. 625 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS STATE AFFAIRS H.B. 625 By: Hernandez 5-2-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, applicants for certification as an historically underutilized or disadvantaged business (HUB) must submit all of their financial information. This information is currently subject to public information provisions. Other small businesses do not have to make this information public and may receive a competitive advantage over those companies who do have to make their information public. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 625 would exempt information, submitted in an application for certification as an historically underutilized or disadvantaged business, from disclosure and public information laws. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 552 of the Government Code by adding Section 552.127 to read as follows: Section 552.127 (a) exempts from public information provisions, information submitted by a vendor or potential vendor applying for certification as an historically underutilized or disadvantaged business under a local, state, or federal program. Section 552.127 (b) states that the information submitted by a vendor or potential vendor in application for certification as an historically underutilized or disadvantaged business may be disclosed only to a state or local governmental entity when verifying an applicant's status as an historically underutilized or disadvantaged business studying an underutilized business program, or with the written permission of the applicant. Section 552.127 (c) provides that all businesses, including HUB's, are subject to the same disclosure laws. SECTION 2. Makes this Act prospective.