1-1     By:  Ratliff                                          S.B. No. 1681

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 8, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;

 1-5     April 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to authorizing certain state agencies to set and charge a

 1-9     fee for the use of a credit card to pay certain fees.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 403.023, Government Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

1-13           (f)  The comptroller by rule shall authorize the Department

1-14     of Public Safety and the Texas Real Estate Commission to set and

1-15     charge a fee for the use of a credit card to pay a fee assessed by

1-16     the particular agency in an amount reasonable and necessary to

1-17     reimburse the agency for the costs involved in the use of the

1-18     credit card.

1-19           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-24     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-25     passage, and it is so enacted.

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