By:  Pickett                                                      H.B. No. 3443


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to statutory authority for certain governmental entities to take certain actions to permit the legislature to reduce appropriations to those agencies. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. The amounts required by statute for entities that receive state funds under Article VII of the General Appropriations Act may be reduced or eliminated in order to achieve a balanced budget. SECTION 2. (a) This section applies to the following state agencies: (1) the Texas Aerospace Commission; (2) the Texas Department of Economic Development; (3) the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; (4) the Texas Lottery Commission; (5) the Office of Rural Community Affairs; (6) the Texas Department of Transportation; and (7) the Texas Workforce Commission. (b) Notwithstanding any other statute of this state, each state agency to which this section applies is authorized to reduce expenditures by: (1) consolidating any reports or publications the agency is required to make and filing or delivering any of those reports or publications exclusively by electronic means; (2) extending the effective period of any license, permit, or registration the agency grants or administers; (3) entering into a contract with another governmental entity or with a private vendor to carry out any of the agency's duties; (4) adopting additional eligibility requirements for persons who receive benefits under any law the agency administers to ensure that those benefits are received by the most deserving persons consistent with the purposes for which the benefits are provided; (5) providing that any communication between the agency and another person and any document required to be delivered to or by the agency, including any application, notice, billing statement, receipt, or certificate, may be made or delivered by electronic mail or through the Internet; and (6) adopting and collecting fees or charges to cover any costs the agency incurs in performing its lawful functions. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.