BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law requires many state agencies to mail various publications to state legislators at great expense due to reproduction and payroll costs associated with distribution. It is important for the state to cut costs and save money and time wherever possible. Conserving paper and reducing paper waste is a side benefit.
H.B. 726 requires that notice of availability of the publication be sent electronically, and authorizes a legislator to notify the agency about the legislator's preference electronically. If the legislator desires to receive a physical notice of the availability of publications from any agency, the legislator is able to do so.
H.B. 726 amends current law relating to the electronic distribution of information to legislators by state agencies.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 2052.002(a) and (c), Government Code, as follows:
(a) Requires a state agency that issues a publication relating to the work of the agency and distributes the publication to members of the legislature, to avoid waste in the duplication and distribution of state agency publications, to send to each member before distributing the publication an electronic notice, rather than a written notice, to determine whether the member wants to receive the publication.
(c) Requires a member who elects to receive the publication to notify the state agency. Authorizes the member to notify the agency electronically.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 2052.0021(d), Government Code, as follows:
(d) Requires the agency, at the time report required by law is ready for distribution outside the state agency, to send written notice to each member of the legislature that the report is available. Requires the agency to send the notice electronically, rather than by mail or, if it is acceptable to the member, electronically. Requires that the notice briefly describe the subject matter of the report and state the manner in which the member may obtain the report electronically, and that the agency will send a printed copy of the report to the member at the request of the member.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.