S.B. 1418 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 1418 By: Ratliff State Affairs Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current Texas law requires the lieutenant governor to appoint certain individuals to various boards, councils, commissions, and committees. The purpose of Senate Bill 1418 is to amend a number of statutes relating to the membership of various entities by removing specific senate committee chairs from membership, and replacing them with senators appointed by the lieutenant governor. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the committee that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 2.004(b), Agriculture Code, to remove the chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee from the Texas Agriculture Policy Board and increase the number of senate members appointed by the lieutenant governor from three to four. SECTION 2. Amends Section 71.012, Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee from the Texas Judicial Council and increase the number of senate members appointed by the lieutenant governor from one to two. SECTION 3. Amends Section 71.052, Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee from the Texas Judicial Council's Task Force on Indigent Defense and to provide that a senate member serving on the Texas Judicial Council who is designated by the lieutenant governor, as well as one other member of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor, shall serve on the Task Force. SECTION 4. Amends Section 321.002 (a), Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee from the Legislative Audit Committee and replace that member with a senate member appointed by the lieutenant governor. SECTION 5. Amends Section 322.001(a), Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and increase the number of senate members appointed to the LBB by the lieutenant governor from two to three. SECTION 6. Amends Section 323.001(b), Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate Administration Committee from the Texas Legislative Council and increase the number of senate members appointed to the Council by the lieutenant governor from four to five. SECTION 7. Amends Section 324.004(b), Government Code, to remove the chair of the Senate Finance Committee from the Legislative Library Board and increase the number of senate members appointed by the lieutenant governor from one to two. SECTION 8. Amends Section 436.003, Government Code, to remove the chair of the senate committee that has primary jurisdiction concerning veteran affairs and military installations from the Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission and replace that member with a senate member appointed by the lieutenant governor. SECTION 9. Amends Section 436.004(a), Government Code, to provide that a house member vacates the position on the Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission if that member ceases to be the chair of the applicable legislative committee, and to provide that a senate member serves on that commission at the pleasure of the lieutenant governor. SECTION 10. Amends Section 386.058(f), Health and Safety Code, to remove the presiding officer of the senate standing committee having primary jurisdiction over matters related to natural resources from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Advisory Committee and replace that member with a senate member appointed by the lieutenant governor. SECTION 11. Amends Section 91.1135(b), Natural Resources Code, to remove the presiding officer of the senate committee with primary jurisdiction over matters affecting natural resources from the Oil-Field Cleanup Fund Advisory Board and replace that member with a senate member appointed by the lieutenant governor. SECTION 12. Amends 39.907, Utilities Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (h), as follows: _Removes the chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development from the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee and increases the number of senate members appointed by the lieutenant governor from two to three. _Requires the chair of the House Committee on State Affairs and one of the members of the senate serving on the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee, designated by the lieutenant governor, to serve as joint chairs of the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.