By Eiland                                              H.B. No. 451

         75R1515 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the use of certain state services and facilities by

 1-3     members of the legislature.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 301.033 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 301.033.  USE OF DATA-PROCESSING FACILITIES.  (a)  An

 1-8     office or agency that provides data-processing or computer services

 1-9     or facilities to individual members of the legislature for official

1-10     use shall establish procedures by which a member may use the

1-11     services or facilities for personal use if that personal use:

1-12                 (1)  is the same or similar to the official uses for

1-13     which the services or facilities are provided;

1-14                 (2)  does not require substantial expansion or

1-15     modification of the services or facilities or substantial

1-16     additional services to support the personal use; and

1-17                 (3)  does not interfere with the official use of the

1-18     services or facilities.

1-19           (b)  The procedures must:

1-20                 (1)  include a method for maintaining a permanent

1-21     record of the member's personal use of the services or facilities;

1-22     and

1-23                 (2)  require the member to pay or reimburse the office

1-24     or agency for all costs incurred in connection with the member's

 2-1     personal use of the services or facilities.

 2-2           (c)  Information contained in the records of the member's

 2-3     private use of the services or facilities is confidential, except

 2-4     that the office or agency providing the services or facilities and

 2-5     the state auditor may examine that information to determine

 2-6     compliance with this section.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.