Amend CSSB 272 as follows:
      (1)  In Section 342.201(f), Finance Code, as amended by
SECTION 1 of the bill (Committee printing, page 2, line 9), strike
"period. Fifty cents" and substitute "period, except that if the
loan has an interest charge authorized by Subsection (e) the lender
may not contract for or receive the administrative fee more than
once in any 365-day period.  One dollar <Fifty cents>".
      (2)  Add an appropriately numbered SECTION to read as follows
and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of the bill appropriately:
      SECTION _____.  Section 11.305, Finance Code, is amended to
read as follows:
      Sec. 11.305.  RESEARCH. (a)  The finance commission shall
instruct the consumer credit commissioner to establish a program to
address alternatives to high-cost lending in this state.  The
program shall <conduct research on>:
            (1)  study and report on the problem of high-cost
lending including without limitation the availability, quality, and
prices of financial services, including lending and depository
services, offered in this state to agricultural businesses, small
businesses, and individual consumers in this state;
            (2)  evaluate alternatives to high-cost lending and the
practices of business entities in this state that provide financial
services to agricultural businesses, small businesses, and
individual consumers in this state;
            (3)  develop models to provide lower-cost alternatives
to assist borrowers who contract for high-cost loans; and
            (4)  track the location of lenders who enter into loan
contracts providing for an interest charge authorized by Section
342.201, map the location of the lenders by senatorial district and
by any other appropriate areas, provide other demographic
information relating to the loans and the location of the lenders,
and provide information on the changes in the distribution of the
lenders from 1997 through the date of the report.
      (b)  The program <finance commission> may:
            (1)  apply for and receive public and private grants
and gifts to conduct the research authorized by this section;
<and>
            (2)  contract with public and private entities to carry
out studies and analyses under this section;
            (3)  provide funding for pilot programs; and
            (4)  make grants to nonprofit institutions working to
provide alternatives to high-cost loans.
      (c)  Not later than December 1 of each year, the consumer
credit commissioner <finance commission> shall provide to the
legislature a report detailing its findings and making
recommendations to improve the availability, quality, and prices of
financial services.