By Capelo                                              H.B. No. 788
         76R3659 GWK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the electronic transmission of certain information to
 1-3     the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Section 493.021 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 493.021.  ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF DOCUMENTS.  (a)  If
 1-8     a statute requires a person to submit a document to the department,
 1-9     the department may accept the document in paper form or may accept
1-10     an electronic transmission of the information otherwise contained
1-11     in the paper document.
1-12           (b)  If a statute requires the department to provide a
1-13     receipt, signature, or seal as evidence of delivery of a document,
1-14     and if the department has received an electronic transmission in
1-15     lieu of accepting the document in paper form, the department may
1-16     transmit  electronically evidence of delivery.  The department may
1-17     develop and use an electronic identifier, and when used by the
1-18     department, the identifier has the same force and effect as the use
1-19     of a receipt, signature, or seal.
1-20           (c)  This section does not authorize the department to
1-21     require that a person submitting information to the department
1-22     submit the information electronically.
1-23           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-4     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-5     passage, and it is so enacted.