Amend Floor Amendment No. 29 to CSHB 7 by striking the text of 
the amendment and substituting the following:
	Amend CSHB 7 by adding the following appropriately numbered 
ARTICLE to the bill and renumbering subsequent ARTICLES 
accordingly:

ARTICLE ____.  INTEGRITY AND DISCLOSURE IN THE

STATE TAX SYSTEM
	SECTION __.01.  Chapter 321, Government Code, is amended by 
adding Section 321.0138 to read as follows:
	Sec. 321.0138.  REVIEW OF STATE TAX SETTLEMENTS AND OTHER 
DECISIONS.  (a)  This section applies to:
		(1)  a settlement of a claim for a tax, refund, or 
credit of a tax, penalty, or interest imposed by Title 2, Tax Code;
		(2)  a settlement of a taxpayer suit under Chapter 112, 
Tax Code; or 
		(3)  any circumstance in which a taxpayer received a 
warrant, offset, check, payment, or credit from the comptroller or 
comptroller's office arising from the filing of a tax return with 
the state.
	(b)  The state auditor and the committee shall review the 
comptroller's records of all tax refunds, credits, payments, 
warrants, offsets, checks, and settlements for the preceding six 
years from the effective date of this section.  The state auditor 
and the committee may review the comptroller's records of all tax 
refunds, credits, payments, warrants, offsets, checks, and 
settlements that occur following the effective date of this 
section.  Notwithstanding any other law, in reviewing these tax 
refunds, credits, payments, warrants, offsets, checks, and 
settlements, the state auditor and the committee are entitled to 
access to related information to the same extent they would be 
entitled under Section 321.013 if the information were in a 
department or entity that is subject to audit.  In accordance with 
Section 321.013(h), neither the state auditor nor the committee may 
conduct audits of private entities concerning the collection or 
remittance of taxes or fees to this state.
	(c)  Within six months following the effective date of this 
section, the comptroller shall provide to the state auditor 
information relating to tax refunds, credits, payments, warrants, 
offsets, checks, and settlements made in the past six years as 
requested by the state auditor.  Commencing February 1, 2004, on a 
monthly basis, the comptroller shall provide to the state auditor 
information designated by the state auditor relating to tax 
refunds, credits, payments, warrants, offsets, checks, and 
settlements to which this section applies.
	(d)  A review by the state auditor under this section is 
considered an audit for purposes of the application of Section 
552.116, relating to confidentiality of audit working papers.  
Information obtained or possessed by the state auditor or the 
committee that is confidential under law when in the possession of 
the comptroller remains confidential while in the possession of the 
state auditor or committee, except as provided by Subsection (e).
	(e)  The committee shall determine the manner in which the 
state auditor shall report information obtained pursuant to 
Subsection (b).  The report may include any information obtained 
during the review, except that the report may not be formatted in a 
manner or include any information that discloses or effectively 
discloses the specific identity of an individual or taxpayer.  The 
report must state the information by category or by numeric 
pseudonym and may include other information maintained by the Texas 
Ethics Commission.
	(f)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), this section does 
not affect any other law relating to confidentiality of information 
relating to tax information, including Sections 111.006, 151.027, 
and 171.206, Tax Code.
	(g)  This section does not affect any other law relating to 
release of information for legislative purposes, including Section 
552.008, Government Code.
	SECTION __.02.  This article takes effect February 1, 2004.