By: Ellis S.B. No. 583 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to a prospective state contractor who is indebted to or 1-2 owes delinquent taxes to the state. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Section 403.055, Government Code, is amended by 1-5 adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: 1-6 (h) Before a state agency signs a contract under which the 1-7 state agency will pay a person for providing goods or services of 1-8 any kind, the state agency must contact the comptroller to verify 1-9 whether the comptroller is currently prohibited from issuing a 1-10 warrant to the person under this section. If the comptroller is 1-11 currently prohibited from issuing a warrant to the person under 1-12 this section, the state agency may not sign the contract unless the 1-13 person agrees to a contract clause under which any payments owing 1-14 to the person under the contract will be applied towards the debt 1-15 or delinquent taxes that the person owes the state until the debt 1-16 or delinquent taxes are paid in full. The comptroller may adopt 1-17 rules to administer this subsection. 1-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-19 SECTION 3. 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.