SRC-MKV H.B. 1612 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 1612 77R12467 MCK-DBy: Goolsby (Carona) Business & Commerce 5/9/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) permit application fees are required to be paid to the state in the form of a cashier's check or money order. For TABC to move forward in ecommerce or other types of actions involving the Internet, it is important for TABC to be able to offer convenient forms of payment, including electronic payments. H.B. 1612 includes additional forms of payment among the types of acceptable payments for permit application fees, and allows TABC to set a reasonable fee for processing such payments. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 11.35, Alcoholic Beverage Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.35, Alcoholic Beverage Code, as follows: Sec. 11.35. PAYMENT OF FEE. (a) Requires each permit application to be accompanied by a cashier's check, a teller's check, a check drawn on the account of a corporation applying for a permit, or a money order or payment by credit card, charge card, or other electronic form of payment approved by Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (commission) rule for the amount of the state fee, payable to the order of the comptroller. (b) Authorizes the commission to set a processing fee in an amount that is reasonably related to the expense incurred by the commission in processing the electronic payment. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.