82R8390 TJB-D
By: Martinez Fischer H.B. No. 2754
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the electronic submission of testimony regarding a bill
or resolution before a committee or subcommittee of the
legislature.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 323, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 323.0146 to read as follows:
Sec. 323.0146. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF COMMITTEE
TESTIMONY ON PENDING LEGISLATION. (a) The council shall provide a
link to be posted on the public Internet website of the senate and
of the house of representatives to allow a person to access an
Internet page on which the person may submit electronic testimony
regarding a bill or resolution that is pending before a committee or
subcommittee of the applicable house of the legislature.
(b) The Internet page must require a person submitting
electronic testimony to provide the following:
(1) the name of the committee or subcommittee that is
considering the bill or resolution;
(2) the number of the bill or resolution for which the
person is providing testimony and whether the person is for,
against, or neutral on the measure;
(3) the name, address, and telephone number of the
person;
(4) whether the person is providing testimony on the
person's own behalf or on behalf of any other person, organization,
business, class of persons, or group;
(5) the type of business, profession, or occupation in
which the person is engaged, if the person is providing the
testimony on the person's own behalf;
(6) a secure acknowledgment by the person that the
submitted testimony is a sworn statement that is true and correct;
and
(7) any other information required by the procedural
rules of the senate or the house of representatives, as applicable,
of a witness testifying in person before a committee.
(c) The council shall ensure that electronic testimony may
be submitted under this section only when the bill or resolution is
pending before the applicable committee or subcommittee, but not
later than the time at which a public hearing to consider the
measure is posted to begin.
(d) The council shall ensure that electronic testimony
submitted under this section is immediately forwarded to the
committee e-mail address of the clerk of the committee or
subcommittee in which the bill or resolution is pending.
(e) Electronic testimony submitted under this section shall
be considered for all purposes as if it were provided in person by a
witness appearing before the committee or subcommittee.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.