By: Barrientos S.B. No. 1161
(In the Senate - Filed March 11, 2003; March 17, 2003, read
first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
Relations; April 25, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0;
April 25, 2003, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1161 By: Gallegos
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorizing counties and municipalities to provide
certain services through the Internet.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 132.007, Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 132.007. INFORMATION, SERVICES, AND PAYMENT THROUGH
THE INTERNET. (a) A county or municipality may provide through
the Internet:
(1) access to information; [or]
(2) collection of payments for taxes, fines, fees,
court costs, or other charges; or
(3) other county and municipal services authorized by
law.
(b) A county or municipality may charge a reasonable fee for
providing a service authorized by this section.
(c) A county or municipality that provides access to
information or provides services through the Internet under
Subsection (a)(1) or (3):
(1) may only charge a fee for the access or service if
the fee is designed to recover the costs directly and reasonably
incurred in providing the access or service; and
(2) may charge the fee only if the governing body of
the county or municipality determines that providing access to the
information or providing the service through the Internet would not
be feasible without the imposition of the charge.
(d) A county or municipality may contract with a vendor to
perform a service authorized by Subsection (a). A vendor must
promptly submit to the county or municipality all payments
collected on behalf of the county or municipality under this
section. The county or municipality must approve any fee charged by
a vendor [for a service performed] under a contract authorized by
this subsection [section].
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
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