1-1     By:  Stiles (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)             H.B. No. 3576

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 15, 1997;

 1-3     May 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to state agencies' use of special mail services.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Chapter 2176, Government Code, is amended by

1-11     adding Subchapter E to read as follows:

1-12                    SUBCHAPTER E.  SPECIAL MAIL SERVICES

1-13           Sec. 2176.201.  USE OF CERTAIN MAIL SERVICES.

1-14     Notwithstanding another law that requires the use of certain mail

1-15     services, a state agency may use any form of mail service available

1-16     from the United States Postal Service to lower postal costs

1-17     whenever acceptable levels of accountability, timeliness, security,

1-18     and quality of service can be maintained.

1-19           Sec. 2176.202.  CHANGE OF ADDRESS SERVICE.  Notwithstanding

1-20     another law regarding change of address updates, a state agency may

1-21     use any change of address update service approved by the United

1-22     States Postal Service for the purpose of receiving a postal

1-23     discount rate.

1-24           Sec. 2176.203.  NOTIFICATION OF SERVICE OPTIONS.  The

1-25     commission shall, as part of the guidelines developed under Section

1-26     2176.105, provide information to state agencies about special mail

1-27     services offered by the United States Postal Service.  The

1-28     commission shall assist a state agency in determining which service

1-29     to use, considering the state agency's needs for accountability,

1-30     timeliness, security, and quality of service.

1-31           SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsections (b) and

1-32     (c) of this section, this Act takes effect immediately.

1-33           (b)  Section 2176.201, Government Code, as added by this Act,

1-34     takes effect July 1, 1997.

1-35           (c)  Section 2176.203, Government Code, as added by this Act,

1-36     takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-37           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-38     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-39     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-40     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-41     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-42     and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its

1-43     terms, and it is so enacted.

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