BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 401

By: Hancock

House Administration

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

As many state-owned facilities continue to age, there have been efforts to fund deferred maintenance projects to improve these facilities. S.B. 401 seeks to continue legislative oversight of deferred maintenance projects through a Joint Oversight Committee on Government Facilities.

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

S.B. 401 amends the Government Code to create the six-member Joint Oversight Committee on Government Facilities, composed of three members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor and three members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, to review deferred maintenance plans and receive implementation updates. The bill sets out provisions relating to the committee's chair and the filling of a vacancy on the committee and requires the committee biannually to provide a written report to the legislature that identifies the amount of money expended for deferred maintenance, planned deferred maintenance projects, and the status of ongoing and completed deferred maintenance projects.

S.B. 401 grants to the committee the powers and duties of, and requires the committee to obtain funding in the same manner as, a joint committee created by proclamation. The bill makes the rules adopted by the 86th Legislature for the administration of joint committees created by proclamation applicable to the committee to the extent the rules are consistent with the bill's provisions. The committee is abolished and the bill's provisions expire on September 1, 2025.

S.B. 401 requires the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house to make appointments to the committee not later than July 1, 2019, if the bill receives the votes necessary for immediate effect, but, if the bill does not receive the necessary votes, requires the appointments to be made not later than September 15, 2019.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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