By: Harper-Brown (Senate Sponsor - Rodriguez) H.B. No. 1487

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013; April 30, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance; May 15, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 14, Nays 0; May 15, 2013, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the searchable state expenditure database maintained by the comptroller.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 403.024, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c) To the extent possible, the comptroller shall present information in the database established under this section in a manner that is searchable and intuitive to users. The comptroller shall enhance and organize the presentation of the information through the use of graphical representations, such as pie charts, as the comptroller considers appropriate. At a minimum, the database must allow users to:

(1) search and aggregate state funding by any element of the information;

(2) ascertain through a single search the total amount of state funding awarded to a person by a state agency; [and]

(3) download information yielded by a search of the database; and

(4) for a state expenditure in the form of a grant, ascertain the specific purposes for which the grant money was used.

(c-1) Subsection (c)(4) does not apply to information relating to a state expenditure in the form of a grant if the comptroller determines that the state agency that awarded the grant substantially complies with that provision by providing the information to the public through:

(1) an electronic link on the agency's generally accessible Internet website; or

(2) another agency program or database.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

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