By Yarbrough                                    H.B. No. 2206

      75R4055 BEM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to requiring certain persons providing services to

 1-3     alcoholic beverage permit or license applicants to obtain a

 1-4     licensing assistant permit.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 109, Alcoholic Beverage

 1-7     Code, is amended by adding Section 109.61 to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 109.61.  LICENSING ASSISTANT PERMIT.  (a)  A person may

 1-9     not offer the person's services for compensation to a permit or

1-10     license applicant for the purpose of assisting the applicant in

1-11     obtaining a permit or license under this code unless the person

1-12     first obtains a licensing assistant permit from the commission.

1-13           (b)  The commission by rule shall adopt the procedures for

1-14     applying for and obtaining a licensing assistant permit under this

1-15     section.

1-16           (c)  An applicant for a licensing assistant permit must pay

1-17     an application fee in an amount set by the commission.

1-18           (d)  The holder of a licensing assistant permit under this

1-19     section shall pay an annual fee to the commission in an amount set

1-20     by the commission that is not less than $500.

1-21           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this

1-22     section, this Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-23           (b)  A person described by Section 109.61, Alcoholic Beverage

1-24     Code, as added by this Act, must obtain a licensing assistant

 2-1     permit to provide filing assistance on or after January 1, 1998.

 2-2           (c)  The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission shall adopt

 2-3     rules for obtaining a licensing assistant permit under Section

 2-4     109.61, Alcoholic Beverage Code, as added by this Act, not later

 2-5     than December 1, 1997.

 2-6           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.