| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of the Office of Small Business Assistance |
|
|
Advisory Task Force. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 481, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 481.00681 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 481.00681. OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE |
|
|
ADVISORY TASK FORCE. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Small business" means a business that employs at |
|
|
least 25 but not more than 250 individuals. |
|
|
(2) "Task force" means the Office of Small Business |
|
|
Assistance Advisory Task Force. |
|
|
(b) The Office of Small Business Assistance shall establish |
|
|
the task force. |
|
|
(c) The task force is composed of seven members appointed as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
(1) two members appointed by the governor; |
|
|
(2) three members appointed by the speaker of the |
|
|
house of representatives; and |
|
|
(3) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor. |
|
|
(d) A task force member serves a two-year term. A task force |
|
|
member may be reappointed for additional terms. |
|
|
(e) Task force members serve without compensation but are |
|
|
entitled to reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses |
|
|
incurred in the discharge of their duties. |
|
|
(f) The task force shall meet as often as necessary but |
|
|
shall meet at least once a year. |
|
|
(g) The task force shall: |
|
|
(1) advise and assist the Office of Small Business |
|
|
Assistance with its duties under Section 481.0068(b) to the extent |
|
|
that they relate to small businesses; |
|
|
(2) advise and assist the governor, the lieutenant |
|
|
governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives with |
|
|
issues that relate to small businesses; and |
|
|
(3) provide information in plain language to the |
|
|
public on issues related to small businesses, including: |
|
|
(A) environmental permitting and compliance; |
|
|
(B) local regulations; |
|
|
(C) construction permitting; |
|
|
(D) the duties of the comptroller to the extent |
|
|
that the duties relate to small businesses; and |
|
|
(E) the formation of business entities. |
|
|
(h) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the |
|
|
task force shall submit to the legislature a report that: |
|
|
(1) describes issues related to small businesses; and |
|
|
(2) proposes legislation to assist small businesses. |
|
|
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|
|
of this Act, the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker |
|
|
of the house of representatives shall appoint the members of the |
|
|
Office of Small Business Assistance Advisory Task Force as required |
|
|
by Section 481.00681, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |