HBA-NLM C.S.S.B. 176 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 176
By: Ratliff
Appropriations
4/28/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Constitution requires that each bill contain only one
subject. An exception to the one-subject rule is allowed for the General
Appropriations Act because it aggregates all the subjects on which Texas
spends money.  However, the Act must be strictly limited to the subjects
and accounts of money.  C.S.S.B. 176 clarifies and specifies reporting and
accounting requirements in the General Appropriations Act that are
applicable to state agencies.  This bill also clarifies and specifies
account reporting procedures applicable to state agencies. 

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 324.008, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(d), to require the governing body of a state agency to deliver a certified
copy of minutes of any meeting, including changes or corrections, to the
Legislative Reference Library (library). 

 SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, by adding
Section 403.0131, as follows: 

Sec. 403.0131. APPROPRIATION CERTIFICATION SUMMARY.  Requires the
comptroller of public accounts, as  soon as practical after the comptroller
certifies the appropriations made by the legislature in a regular or
special session, to prepare a summary table that details the basis for the
certification of  all  major  funds.  Provides that the table must be
similar in format and detail to the summary tables of the major fund
estimates published in the comptroller's biennial revenue estimate and must
include the biennial appropriations from all major funds.  Requires the
comptroller to deliver a copy of each table prepared under this section to
specified state officials and the Legislative Budget Board (LBB). 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 403.021, Government Code, to define "state
agency."  Requires a state agency to report all payables and binding
encumbrances, rather than estimated encumbrances, by appropriation account
for all appropriation years annually.  Requires a state agency to report
payables and binding encumbrances to LBB, rather than to the Legislative
Budget Office.   Requires the comptroller to lapse certain balances by
November 1, rather than October 1, of each fiscal year. Requires each state
agency to reconcile all expenditures as reported in the uniform statewide
accounting system, with the state agency's own strategic planning and
budget structure.  Requires each state agency to report a method of
financing in the automated budget and evaluation system. Authorizes LBB to
determine a schedule for the each state agency's reconciliation.  Makes
conforming and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 751.024, Government Code,  as follows:

Sec. 751.024.  New title:  REPORTS CONCERNING GRANT FUNDS.  (a) Requires
each agency and each institution of higher education to report to the
Office of State-Federal Relations (office), LBB, and the budget division of
the governor's office specified information. 

 (b)  Authorizes LBB to prescribe, rather than develop, reporting
procedures and time schedules necessary to implement Subsection (a).
Deletes existing Subsection (c) relating to LBB consultation with the
director in prescribing a report form under Subsection (b). 

SECTION 5.  Amends Section 2101.011, Government Code,  to define
"appropriated money"  and "appropriation item."  Requires the executive
head of each state agency to submit a financial report of the agency's use
of appropriated money during the preceding fiscal year, not later than
November 20 of each year, to certain persons and entities.  Sets forth
required information to be included in the annual report.  Deletes text
requiring the submission of financial information by a state agency. Makes
nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 6.  Amends Chapter 2102, Government Code, by adding Section
2102.0091, as follows: 

Sec. 2102.0091.  REPORTS OF PERIODIC AUDITS.  Requires a state agency to
file with certain authorities, a copy of each report submitted by its
internal auditor.  Sets forth filing deadlines.  Requires a state agency to
file with the governor's office budget division any response made by its
governing body to the report of the internal auditor. 

SECTION 7.  Amends Section 2152.064, Government Code, to require a state
agency to file a certain report with LBB, rather than the presiding officer
of each house of the legislature and legislative leaders.  Requires the
agency to include an explanation for the need to use a nonresident bidder,
for contract with a value of $250,000 or more. Requires a state agency to
report a listing of the total value of all purchases from nonresident
bidders during the six months before the report is filed.  Requires the
state agency to explain the need to use nonresident bidders if the amount
reported exceeds $1 million or 25 percent of the total value of all
purchases.  Requires LBB to prepare a summary report of the information
received under this section for each reporting period, and requires each
summary report to be filed with certain state officials. 

SECTION 8.  Amends Section 2166.152, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(e), to prohibit money appropriated by the legislature from being used for
a capital construction project until the required analysis is filed with
certain budget authorities. 

SECTION 9.  Amends Section 2205.039, Government Code, by amending
Subsection (b), and adding Subsection (c), as follows: 

(b)  Includes the destination of each person who is a passenger or crew
member of the aircraft, the date of each flight, and a detailed and
specific description of the official business purpose of each flight, among
the  information required to be included in a travel log form. Makes
nonsubstantive changes. 

(c)  Requires a state agency other than the State Aircraft Pooling Board
(board) to send travel logs to the board for each month the agency operates
an aircraft. 

SECTION 10.  Amends Section 2205.041, Government Code, to set forth
required information to be requested by the aircraft use form. 

SECTION 11.  Amends Chapter 109, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, by
adding Section 109.0015, as follows: 

Sec. 109.0015.  NOTICE OF CERTAIN LAWSUITS.  Defines "state agency."
Requires a state agency to notify certain authorities in regard to the
filing of lawsuits for which the state may be liable for payment of a
judgment. Provides that the notification must be made in the manner
provided. 

SECTION 12.  Provides a derivation table for information purposes only for
provisions of the General Appropriations Act. 

SECTION 13.  Effective date:  September 1, 1999.

 SECTION 14.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 176 modifies the original in SECTION 5 (proposed Section
2101.011(b), Government Code), to require the executive head of each state
agency to submit a financial report of the agency's use of appropriated
money during the preceding fiscal year, not later than November 20 of each
year, rather than the 90th day of each fiscal year, to certain persons and
entities.   

C.S.S.B. 176 modifies the original in SECTION 11 (proposed Section
109.0015(a), Government Code) to remove the language specifically providing
that the term "state agency" also includes a public junior college in this
section.