HBA-TYH H.B. 631 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 631
By: Alexander
State Affairs
2/9/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 145, which
established uniform procedures for the acceptance of gifts by all agencies
authorized to accept gifts.  It requires the majority of a governing board
of a state agency to vote in an open meeting to approve acceptance of a
gift valued at $500 or more. This may frustrate groups wishing to donate
seasonable and perishable food items to state agencies because an agency's
governing board may take several months to act upon such an offer.  H.B.
631 allows authorized agencies to first accept a gift valued at $500 or
more and have its governing board acknowledge acceptance of the gift in an
open meeting within 90 days. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 575.003, Government Code, by authorizing a state
agency with a governing board to accept a gift only if the agency has the
authority to accept the gift and a majority of the board, in an open
meeting, acknowledges the acceptance of the gift, rather than approves
accepting the gift, within 90 days after the date the gift is accepted. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.