HBA-EDN H.B. 1056 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1056
By: Gallego
State Affairs
2/15/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the house general investigating committee (committee)
has jurisdiction to investigate a variety of issues of statewide concern.
The committee consists of five members and conducts inquiries and
investigations in which sensitive information held by the committee may be
subject to public disclosure. House Bill 1056 sets forth provisions
relating to the composition and operation of the committee and to the
appearance of members of a governmental body before a legislative
committee. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1056 amends the Government Code to increase, from five to nine
house members, the size of the house general investigating committee
(committee).  The bill provides that information in the custody or control
of a general investigatory committee that, if released, would interfere
with or compromise an investigation, study, or other legitimate function of
the committee is confidential and not subject to public disclosure.  This
confidentiality is in addition to any other confidentiality provided by law
to the committee and may be waived by the committee as it determines
appropriate.   

The bill provides that public notice requirements do not apply when a
quorum of members of a governmental body (members) appear as witnesses at
public meetings of a committee of the legislature if the meeting meets the
public notice requirements and the only topic of discussion the members
engage in is that which is referenced in the meeting notice.  H.B. 1056
also provides that members appearing as witnesses before a committee of the
legislature without providing public notice of the meeting are prohibited
from taking formal action on any matter.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.