BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 793

By: King, Phil

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that recent legislation was passed to prevent taxpayer resources from supporting businesses engaged in discriminatory trade practices against Israel by prohibiting certain governmental contracts with companies that boycott Israel. H.B. 793 seeks to clarify the applicability of that prohibition.

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. 793 amends the Government Code to limit the applicability of the prohibition on certain governmental contracts with companies that boycott Israel to a contract that is between a governmental entity and a company with 10 or more full-time employees and that has a value of $100,000 or more to be paid wholly or partly from the entity's public funds. The bill excludes a sole proprietorship as a company for purposes of this prohibition.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.