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.