BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1072

By: Solomons

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, some state agencies pay State Bar of Texas membership dues for their staff attorneys.  H.B. 1072  exempts state-employed, full-time attorneys from paying state bar membership fees.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the State Bar of Texas in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1072 amends the Government Code to exempt a member of the State Bar of Texas from paying a membership fee for a year in which the member is in good standing and employed as a full-time attorney by a board, commission, department, agency, office, or other entity of this state's government.  The bill requires the state bar to adopt rules governing the proration of a membership fee paid by an attorney who is not employed by this state's government for an entire year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

January 1, 2012.