AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, the Texas Government Code requires that the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) maintain a register of all state officers in a separate book.  Additionally, SOS must provide each county clerk with a list of all other states' entities requiring notary seals on documents.

 

S.B. 792 allows SOS to maintain both the book of state officers and the notary seal list in an electronic format.  SOS intends to place these items on the agency's Internet website.

 

As proposed, S.B. 792 amends current law relating to the duties of the secretary of state.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 405.017, Government Code, to require the secretary of state (SOS), among certain duties, to keep a register of all state officers, rather than to keep in a separate suitable book a register of all state officers.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 405.019(b) and (c), Government Code, as follows:

 

(b)  Requires the SOS to make the list available to the county clerks of this state, rather than to send the list to each of the county clerks of this state, before January 1 of each year.

 

(c)  Requires the SOS to amend the list and make the amended list available to the county clerks of this state, rather than to amend the list and immediately send the amended list to the county clerks of this state, if the secretary learns that a state or territory has changed its requirements relating to a notary public in a manner that requires it to be added to or deleted from the list.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2011.