BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 415

By: Guerra

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been argued that state agencies too often adopt rules without understanding the impact on commerce or assessing the impact on small businesses and rural communities. In an effort to remove barriers for such entities in Texas, H.B. 415 seeks to provide for the preparation of an economic impact statement and a regulatory flexibility analysis if a state agency is made aware that a proposed rule may have an adverse economic effect on small and micro-businesses and rural communities.

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. 415 amends the Government Code to require an applicable state agency made aware that a proposed rule may have an adverse economic effect on small businesses, micro-businesses, or rural communities, as applicable, after notice of the proposed rule has been published, to prepare the economic impact statement and a regulatory flexibility analysis otherwise required before adopting rules that may have an adverse economic effect on small businesses or rural communities, to publish the statement and the analysis in the Texas Register as an amendment to the proposed rule, and to provide a copy of the statement and the analysis to the standing committee of each house of the legislature charged with reviewing the proposed rule.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.