SRC-ARR S.B. 1563 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1563
76R7568 MXM-DBy: Armbrister
State Affairs
4/19/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law does provide for customer service standards and
performance measures for state agencies. Governments around the would are
focusing on improving customer service by setting standards for
performance, redressing procedures, and gathering input from the public.
Sixtyfour percent of Texans surveyed rated government customer services
either as excellent or good and 36 percent rated its service fair or bad.
S.B. 1563 would establish customer service standards and performance
measures for state agencies. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1563 establishes customer services standards and
performance measures for state agencies. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Title 10C, Government Code, by adding Chapter 2113, as
follows: 
 
CHAPTER 2113. CUSTOMER SERVICE

 Sec. 2113.001. DEFINITION. Defines "state agency."

Sec. 2113.002. CUSTOMER SERVICE INPUT. Requires a state agency (agency) to
create an inventory of external customers for each budget strategy listed
in the General Appropriations Act for that agency. Requires each agency to
gather information from customers using survey or focus groups regarding
the quality of service delivery by that agency. Requires the information
requested to include evaluations of certain operations of an agency.
Requires an agency not later than a certain date, to report on the
information gathered under Subsection (b) to the Legislative Budget Board
(LBB) and the governor's office of budget and planning. 

Sec. 2113.003. PERFORMANCE MEASURES. Requires the LBB to develop means to
measure customer service satisfaction and create performance  measures for
state agencies in this area.  

Sec. 2113.004. INSPECTIONS. Authorizes the LBB and the governor's office of
budget and planning to inspect a state agency and analyze its customer
service performance by sending a customer service evaluator to
confidentially pretend to be a customer of that agency.  

Sec. 2113.005. TEXAS STAR AWARD. Authorizes the LBB and the governor's
office of budget and planning to award the "Texas Star" to a state agency
that provides exemplary customer service based on the performance measures
and standards adopted under this chapter. Requires the LBB and the
governor's office of budget and planning to conduct an evaluation to
determine agencies that may qualify for the Texas Star Award. Requires the
evaluation to be conducted under the procedures outlined in the General
Appropriations Act.  
 
Sec. 2113.006. CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE; COMPACT WITH TEXANS.
Requires  a state agency to appoint a customer relations representative.
Requires the representative to take certain actions. Requires each state
agency to create a "Compact With Texans" (compact). Requires the compact to
be approved by the governor's office of budget and planning. Requires each
compact to set customer service standards and describe customer service
principles for that agency and address certain issues.  

SECTION 2. Defines "state agency." Requires the LBB and the governor's
office of budget and planning to prepare a report and file it with the
lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives not later
than December 31, 2000. Requires the report to include certain information.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999, except that Section 2113.004,
Government Code, as added by this Act, takes effect September 1, 2001. 

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.