89R17587 BEF-D

By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 2212

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the efficient operations of agencies in the legislative branch of state government and the repeal of certain obsolete provisions involving those agencies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 6, Article 38.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 6. ASSISTANCE. The [Texas Legislative Council, the Legislative Budget Board, and The] University of Texas at Austin shall assist the commission in performing the commission's duties.

SECTION 2. Section 323.007, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:

(d) The council shall give priority to preparing drafts of proposed legislation over the duties provided by this section during a regular or called legislative session and during the 120 days before the first day of a regular legislative session.

(e) The council shall conduct a study of best practices for incorporating nonsubstantive additions to, revisions of, and corrections in enacted codes into statutory publications following a legislative session. In conducting the study, the council shall examine the procedures used by other states and seek the input of legal professionals and commercial publishers of Texas codes. The council shall prepare a report of the findings of the study for the 90th Legislature and publish the report on the council's Internet website. This subsection expires September 1, 2027.

SECTION 3. Section 324.001(4), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(4) "Legislative entity" means a member of the legislature, the lieutenant governor, an officer of the house or senate, [or] a legislative committee, department, or office, or [but does not include] a legislative agency created by Subtitle C, Title 3.

SECTION 4. Sections 441.180(6-a) and (9), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(6-a) "Legislative record" has the meaning assigned by Section 324.001 [means any record created or received by the office of a member of the legislature or the lieutenant governor during the official's term of office].

(9) "State agency" means:

(A) any department, commission, board, office, or other agency in the executive [, legislative,] or judicial branch of state government created by the constitution or a statute of this state and includes an eleemosynary institution [but does not include the office of a member of the legislature or the lieutenant governor];

(B) any university system and its components and any institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, except a public junior college, not governed by a university system board;

(C) the Texas Municipal Retirement System and the Texas County and District Retirement System; and

(D) any public nonprofit corporation created by the legislature whose responsibilities and authority are not limited to a geographical area less than that of the state.

SECTION 5. Section 2052.205(a), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) A state agency shall send to the Legislative Reference Library three paper [five] copies and one electronic copy of each publication that it distributes, including a report required by law to be distributed to the library. The electronic copy must be in a format described by Section 2052.0021(c).

SECTION 6. The following provisions of the Government Code are repealed:

(1) Section 323.009;

(2) Section 324.0085, as added by Chapter 533 (H.B. 1962), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019;

(3) Chapter 328;

(4) Section 468.003(b);

(5) Section 2053.004;

(6) Chapter 2060; and

(7) Section 2206.101(e).

SECTION 7. 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, 2025.