SRC-BWC S.B. 1800 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1800 2001S0846/1By: Brown, J. E. "Buster" Administration 4/12/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Current law is not clear on how the records of the office of the lieutenant governor are to be handled if the lieutenant governor assumes the office of the governor after a vacancy occurs in the office of the governor. As proposed, S.B. 1800 clarifies that the records may be transferred to the office of the governor. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 441L, Government Code, by adding Section 441.204, as follows: Sec. 441.204. RECORDS OF OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. Authorizes a lieutenant governor who vacates the office of lieutenant governor to complete the unexpired term of the governor as provided by Section 16(d), Article IV, Texas Constitution, to transfer the records of the office of the lieutenant governor created or received during that lieutenant governor's term of office to the office of the governor, notwithstanding any other law. SECTION 2. Amends Section 552.351, Government Code, to provide that it is an exception to the application of Subsection (a) that the public information was transferred under Section 441.204. SECTION 3. Amends Section 37.10(b), Penal Code, to provide that it is an exception to the application of Subsection (a) (3) that the governmental record is destroyed pursuant to legal authorization or transferred under Section 441.204, Government Code, as added by this Act. SECTION 4. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies regardless of whether the transfer of a record occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 5. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.