By Pitts                                              H.B. No. 3031
         77R6252 DWS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a one-stop online service for new businesses.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 2054, Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 2054.063 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 2054.063.  ONE-STOP ONLINE BUSINESS SERVICE. (a)  The
 1-7     department, with the cooperation of the secretary of state,
 1-8     comptroller, Texas Department of Economic Development, Texas
 1-9     Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Natural Resource
1-10     Conservation Commission, and the Texas Department of
1-11     Transportation, shall develop and operate an online service to
1-12     serve the start-up needs of new businesses in this state in a
1-13     seamless manner.
1-14           (b)  To the extent possible with available resources, the
1-15     department shall structure the service to achieve the following
1-16     goals:
1-17                 (1)  allowing new businesses to:
1-18                       (A)  complete forms essential to starting a
1-19     business;
1-20                       (B)  obtain necessary permits; and
1-21                       (C)  receive other appropriate assistance;
1-22                 (2)  eliminating, from the point of view of a user of
1-23     the service, the boundaries between the state agencies involved;
1-24                 (3)  guiding users through the steps involved in
 2-1     starting a business; and
 2-2                 (4)  providing a broad range of information on general
 2-3     business regulations, business licenses and forms, and important
 2-4     telephone numbers.
 2-5           (c)  To the extent possible, the department shall provide the
 2-6     service through an existing Internet portal.
 2-7           (d)  If the department has a program management office, the
 2-8     department may delegate its duties under this section to that
 2-9     office.
2-10           SECTION 2. Before January 1, 2003, the Department of
2-11     Information Resources, or the department's program management
2-12     office if the department has established a program management
2-13     office, shall report to the legislature its recommendations
2-14     relating to further implementation of the online business service
2-15     under Section 2054.063, Government Code, as added by this Act.
2-16           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.