By Dutton                                             H.R. No. 1267
         77R17828 SGA-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State
 1-2     of Texas, 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, That House Rule
 1-3     13, Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule
 1-4     13, Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to
 1-5     resolve the differences on Senate Bill 536, relating to
 1-6     compensation for wrongful imprisonment, to consider and take action
 1-7     on the following matter:
 1-8           House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the
 1-9     committee to add a new section to the bill to read as follows:
1-10           SECTION 2.  Section 403.074, Government Code, is amended by
1-11     amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsection (g) to read
1-12     as follows:
1-13           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (g), the [The]
1-14     comptroller may not pay a miscellaneous claim unless the claim has
1-15     been:
1-16                 (1)  verified and substantiated by an authorized
1-17     employee of the state agency whose special fund or account is to be
1-18     charged for the claim;
1-19                 (2)  verified by the attorney general as a legally
1-20     enforceable obligation of the state; and
1-21                 (3)  certified by the claimant as due and unpaid.
1-22           (d)  Except as provided by Subsection (g), the [The]
1-23     comptroller may not pay under this section a single claim in excess
1-24     of $25,000, or an aggregate of claims by a single claimant during a
 2-1     biennium in excess of $25,000. For the purposes of this subsection,
 2-2     all claims that were originally held by one person are considered
 2-3     held by a single claimant regardless of whether those claims were
 2-4     later transferred.
 2-5           (g)  The comptroller shall pay under this section any claim
 2-6     that satisfies the requirements of Subchapter B, Chapter 103, Civil
 2-7     Practice and Remedies Code, as provided by Section 103.151, Civil
 2-8     Practice and Remedies Code.
 2-9           Explanation:  This addition is necessary to ensure that the
2-10     comptroller has the authority to issue payments as required by the
2-11     changes to Chapter 103, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, that
2-12     exceed the current maximum allowed for miscellaneous claims under
2-13     Section 403.074, Government Code.