1-1     By:  Duncan                                            S.B. No. 736
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2001; February 19, 2001,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
 1-4     March 28, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 28, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the continuation and operation of the self-directed
 1-9     semi-independent agency pilot project and the continuation of the
1-10     Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, the Texas Board of
1-11     Professional Engineers, and the Texas Board of Architectural
1-12     Examiners; making an appropriation.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Subsection (c), Section 4, Article 8930, Revised
1-15     Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
1-16           (c)  This Act is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code
1-17     (Texas Sunset Act).  Unless continued in existence as provided by
1-18     that chapter, this Act expires September 1, 2005 [2003].
1-19           SECTION 2.  Section 14, Article 8930, Revised Statutes, is
1-20     amended to read as follows:
1-21           Sec. 14.  FEES AND DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.  (a)  Subject to the
1-22     limitations, if any, in the applicable enabling legislation, each
1-23     project agency may set the amount of fees by statute or rule as
1-24     necessary for the purpose of carrying out the functions of the
1-25     project agency.
1-26           (b)  All fees and funds collected by a project agency during
1-27     the pilot project and any funds appropriated to the project agency
1-28     shall be deposited in interest-bearing deposit accounts in the
1-29     Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company.  The comptroller shall
1-30     contract with the project agency for the maintenance of the deposit
1-31     accounts under terms comparable to a contract between a commercial
1-32     banking institution and its customers.
1-33           SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 15, Article 8930, Revised
1-34     Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
1-35           (b)  If a state agency no longer has status under this Act as
1-36     a self-directed semi-independent project agency either because of
1-37     the expiration of this Act or for any other reason, ownership of
1-38     any property or other asset acquired by the agency during the time
1-39     the agency participated in the pilot project, including unexpended
1-40     fees in a deposit account in the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust
1-41     Company, shall be transferred to the state.
1-42           SECTION 4.  Section 901.006, Occupations Code, is amended to
1-43     read as follows:
1-44           Sec. 901.006.  APPLICATION OF SUNSET ACT.  The Texas State
1-45     Board of Public Accountancy is subject to Chapter 325, Government
1-46     Code (Texas Sunset Act).  Unless continued in existence as provided
1-47     by that chapter, the board is abolished and this chapter expires
1-48     September 1, 2005 [2003].
1-49           SECTION 5.  Section 3a, The Texas Engineering Practice Act
1-50     (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read
1-51     as follows:
1-52           Sec. 3a.  SUNSET PROVISION.  The Texas Board of Professional
1-53     Engineers is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset
1-54     Act).  Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter,
1-55     the board is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2005
1-56     [2003].
1-57           SECTION 6.  Section 2a, Chapter 478, Acts of the 45th
1-58     Legislature, Regular Session, 1937 (Article 249a, Vernon's Texas
1-59     Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
1-60           Sec. 2a.  SUNSET PROVISION.  The Texas Board of Architectural
1-61     Examiners is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset
1-62     Act).  Unless continued in existence as provided by that chapter,
1-63     the board is abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2005
1-64     [2003].
 2-1           SECTION 7.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
 2-2           (b)  To provide a reasonable period for each project agency
 2-3     under Article 8930, Revised Statutes, as amended by this Act, to
 2-4     establish itself as self-directed semi-independent after the
 2-5     conclusion of fiscal year 2001, each agency is appropriated an
 2-6     amount equal to 50 percent of that agency's appropriated amount for
 2-7     fiscal year 2001.  This appropriation may be spent as the project
 2-8     agency directs and shall be repaid to the general revenue fund by
 2-9     the agency as funds become available.
2-10           (c)  Examination fees collected prior to September 1, 2001,
2-11     for examinations conducted after September 1, 2001, shall be made
2-12     available to the project agency to be spent as the agency directs.
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