1-1 By: King of Uvalde (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2429
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
1-3 May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
1-4 May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7,
1-5 Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the method used by the comptroller of public accounts
1-9 to pay vendors and other persons.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Sections 403.016(c) and (h), Government Code, are
1-12 amended to read as follows:
1-13 (c) The comptroller shall use the electronic funds transfer
1-14 system to make:
1-15 (1) payments of more than $100 to annuitants by the
1-16 Employees Retirement System of Texas or the Teacher Retirement
1-17 System of Texas under either system's administrative jurisdiction;
1-18 (2) recurring payments to municipalities, counties,
1-19 political subdivisions, special districts, and other governmental
1-20 entities of this state; and
1-21 (3) payments to vendors who choose to receive payment
1-22 through the electronic funds transfer system rather than by
1-23 warrant.
1-24 (h) Notwithstanding any requirement in this section to make
1-25 a payment through the electronic funds transfer system, the
1-26 comptroller shall issue a warrant to pay a person if:
1-27 (1) the person properly notifies the comptroller that:
1-28 (A) receiving the payment by electronic funds
1-29 transfer would be impractical to the person;
1-30 (B) receiving the payment by electronic funds
1-31 transfer would be more costly to the person than receiving the
1-32 payment by warrant; [or]
1-33 (C) the person is unable to establish a
1-34 qualifying account at a financial institution to receive electronic
1-35 funds transfers; or
1-36 (D) the person chooses to receive the payment by
1-37 warrant; or
1-38 (2) the state agency on whose behalf the comptroller
1-39 makes the payment properly notifies the comptroller that:
1-40 (A) making the payment by electronic funds
1-41 transfer would be impractical to the agency; or
1-42 (B) making the payment by electronic funds
1-43 transfer would be more costly to the agency than making the payment
1-44 by warrant.
1-45 SECTION 2. Section 403.016(k), Government Code, is repealed.
1-46 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-47 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-48 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-49 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-50 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-51 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-52 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-53 * * * * *