78R1304 MXM-D

By:  Solomons                                                     H.B. No. 1166



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the on-line information needs and requirements of 
licensing agencies and their license holders.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 2054, Government Code, as 
added by Chapter 353, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular 
Session, 2001, is amended by adding Sections 2054.255 and 2054.256 
to read as follows:
	Sec. 2054.255.  CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND OTHER INFORMATION; 
SECRETARY OF STATE.  (a)  The system adopted under Section 2054.253 
shall allow a person regulated by one or more licensing authorities 
to file a single change of address on-line with the secretary of 
state.  The secretary of state shall provide the new address to each 
appropriate licensing authority.
	(b)  The department, in coordination with the secretary of 
state, may expand the system to include additional categories of 
updated information that license holders may need to provide to 
more than one licensing authority.
	Sec. 2054.256.  SHARING OF INFORMATION.  (a)  Each licensing 
authority shall electronically share information regarding license 
holders, especially information regarding disciplinary 
information, with other licensing authorities to the extent it is 
feasible to do so and allowed by other law, under appropriate 
controls for the privacy, security, accuracy, and, when applicable, 
confidentiality of the information.
	(b)  A licensing authority may only use information it 
receives electronically under this section for regulatory 
purposes.
	SECTION 2.  (a)  The Department of Information Resources 
shall, in coordination with the secretary of state, study the 
software and information needs of licensing authorities under 
Subchapter I, Chapter 2054, Government Code, as added by Chapter 
353, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, and as 
amended by this Act.  The study shall concentrate on software that 
will:
		(1)  allow for a streamlined process under which 
license holders could provide updated information needed by more 
than one licensing authority to the secretary of state; and
		(2)  provide for better communication among licensing 
authorities, including the sharing of information electronically 
for regulatory purposes.
	(b)  Licensing authorities shall cooperate with the 
department and the secretary of state in conducting the study.
	(c)  The department, not later than September 1, 2004, shall 
complete the study and provide recommendations to each licensing 
authority regarding acquiring information technology capabilities 
sufficient to meet the goals described by Subsection (a) of this 
section.
	(d)  The department may not require a licensing authority to 
comply with the recommendations before September 1, 2005, but a 
licensing authority may comply earlier.
	SECTION 3.  Sections  2054.255 and 2054.256, Government 
Code, as added by this Act, take effect September 1, 2005.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.