BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1443

By: Geren

Government Transparency & Operation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties explain that the comptroller of public accounts is required to maintain records of state expenditures and that, to facilitate this requirement, a database of state payees has been maintained that originally resided within the comptroller's taxpayer system. The parties further explain that due to the different business needs between tax reporting and state expenditures reporting, the Texas Identification Number System (TINS) was created to maintain state payee information, including state employees, governmental entities, and vendors, separate from taxpayer information. The parties note that each payee is then assigned a Texas Identification Number (TIN) to track state expenditures.

Initially, the parties say, both the taxpayer and payee systems assigned individuals a TIN that was based on an individual's Social Security number (SSN). State employees are also assigned a TIN based on their SSNs, as these numbers are required for federal tax reporting. The parties point out that as a result of federal and state requirements for SSNs to be confidential, the TINS converted all SSN-based identification numbers to a generic, system-assigned TIN that begins with a certain number and note that the implementation of TINS separated payee information from the taxpayer system. H.B. 1443 seeks to clarify statutory language to reflect current practice.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1443 amends the Government Code to remove the specification that a Texas Identification Number required to be assigned by the comptroller of public accounts is based on the comptroller's taxpayer identification number system. The bill removes the exception for state employees from the requirement that the comptroller assign a Texas Identification Number to each person who supplies property or services to the state for compensation or reimbursement. The bill removes an exception excluding state employees from the persons for whom a state agency is required to use the Texas Identification Number System as the primary identification system.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.