By Armbrister                                   S.B. No. 1121

      75R7610 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the approval of certain international travel by state

 1-3     employees.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 660.024(a), Government Code, is amended

 1-6     to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The chief administrator of a state agency must give

 1-8     advance written approval for any travel [Travel] related to

 1-9     official state business  for which a reimbursement for travel

1-10     expenses is claimed or for which an advance for travel expenses to

1-11     be incurred is sought [must have the advance written approval of

1-12     the governor].  A copy of the written approval and the travel

1-13     voucher shall be submitted to the comptroller.

1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-15     applies only to travel expenses incurred or requests for travel

1-16     advances sought on or after the effective date of this Act.  A

1-17     travel expense incurred or a travel advance sought before the

1-18     effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the

1-19     time the expense was incurred or advance sought, and that law is

1-20     continued in effect for that purpose.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.