78R9065 MCK-D

By:  Isett                                                        H.B. No. 3363



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring state agencies to report on legal matters.              
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  (a)  In this section, "state agency" means a 
department, commission, board, office, or other agency that is in 
the executive or legislative branch of state government and is 
created by the constitution or a statute of this state, including a 
university system or an institution of higher education as defined 
by Section 61.003, Education Code.
	(b)  Not later than March 1, 2004, each state agency shall 
file a written report with the state affairs committees of the 
senate and the house of representatives stating:
		(1)  whether the state agency uses agency employees, 
the attorney general, or other counsel to represent the  agency in 
legal matters, and if the agency uses more than one counsel to 
represent the agency, the agency shall describe the type of legal 
work each counsel performs for the agency;
		(2)  the amount of money the state agency spent during 
the previous fiscal biennium relating to legal matters, including 
the amount spent on litigation matters and administrative matters; 
and
		(3)  the number of state agency employees working on 
legal matters, including attorneys and other employees, and a 
description of the employees' job duties.
	(c)  This Act expires March 1, 2005.                                           
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.