1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to information gathered and analyzed by the legislative
 1-3     council.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 323.019(c), Government Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7           (c)  In order to develop and evaluate legislative policy, the
 1-8     council is entitled to collect data from any state agency,
 1-9     including data that is confidential under state or federal law.  In
1-10     addition to other uses consistent with this section, the council
1-11     may use data collected for the purpose of matching data from
1-12     various agencies.  Confidential data collected by the council does
1-13     not lose its character as confidential information because of its
1-14     collection by the council, and the providing of that data to the
1-15     council does not constitute a release of the information by the
1-16     state agency.  For the purposes of evaluating federally and
1-17     state-supported education programs, or other appropriate purposes
1-18     as authorized by [limited purpose of collecting and matching data
1-19     subject to]  20 U.S.C. Section 1232g or other federal law governing
1-20     education records, employees of the council are considered state
1-21     school officials.
1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-23     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-24     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-1     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-2     Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
 2-3     legislative session.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2853 was passed by the House on April
         26, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 0, 2 present, not
         voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
         No. 2853 on May 17, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 0,
         1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2853 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 15, 2001, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays
         0, 1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor