By King of Uvalde                                     H.B. No. 2429
         76R12735 JRD-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the method used by the comptroller of public accounts
 1-3     to pay vendors and other persons.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 403.016(c) and (h), Government Code, are
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (c)  The comptroller shall use the electronic funds transfer
 1-8     system to make:
 1-9                 (1)  payments of more than $100 to annuitants by the
1-10     Employees Retirement System of Texas or the Teacher Retirement
1-11     System of Texas under either system's administrative jurisdiction;
1-12                 (2)  recurring payments to municipalities, counties,
1-13     political subdivisions, special districts, and other governmental
1-14     entities of this state;  and
1-15                 (3)  payments to vendors who choose to receive payment
1-16     through the electronic funds transfer system rather than by
1-17     warrant.
1-18           (h)  Notwithstanding any requirement in this section to make
1-19     a payment through the electronic funds transfer system, the
1-20     comptroller shall issue a warrant to pay a person if:
1-21                 (1)  the person properly notifies the comptroller that:
1-22                       (A)  receiving the payment by electronic funds
1-23     transfer would be impractical to the person;
1-24                       (B)  receiving the payment by electronic funds
 2-1     transfer would be more costly to the person than receiving the
 2-2     payment by warrant; [or]
 2-3                       (C)  the person is unable to establish a
 2-4     qualifying account at a financial institution to receive electronic
 2-5     funds transfers; or
 2-6                       (D)  the person chooses to receive the payment by
 2-7     warrant; or
 2-8                 (2)  the state agency on whose behalf the comptroller
 2-9     makes the payment properly notifies the comptroller that:
2-10                       (A)  making the payment by electronic funds
2-11     transfer would be impractical to the agency;  or
2-12                       (B)  making the payment by electronic funds
2-13     transfer would be more costly to the agency than making the payment
2-14     by warrant.
2-15           SECTION 2.  Section 403.016(k), Government Code, is repealed.
2-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-22     passage, and it is so enacted.