BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 288 By: Canales Government Transparency & Operation Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Senate makes its website available in English and Spanish, but the website of the Texas House of Representatives is available only in English. According to certain data, over 30 percent of Texans speak Spanish. Given this statistic and the growing diversity of Texas, some parties think that state services such as legislative websites should be accessible in Spanish. These parties note that communication between constituents and their legislative officials is of the utmost importance and argue that making the home page of both legislative houses available in Spanish would help to break down language barriers that could interfere with that communication. H.B. 288 seeks to ensure such availability in order to provide the Spanish-speaking community in Texas better access to pertinent legislative information that affects that community. 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 H.B. 288 amends the Government Code to require the home page of each house of the legislature that may be viewed by the public on the Internet to be made available in both English and Spanish. EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2016.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 288
By: Canales
Government Transparency & Operation
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 288
By: Canales
Government Transparency & Operation
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Senate makes its website available in English and Spanish, but the website of the Texas House of Representatives is available only in English. According to certain data, over 30 percent of Texans speak Spanish. Given this statistic and the growing diversity of Texas, some parties think that state services such as legislative websites should be accessible in Spanish. These parties note that communication between constituents and their legislative officials is of the utmost importance and argue that making the home page of both legislative houses available in Spanish would help to break down language barriers that could interfere with that communication. H.B. 288 seeks to ensure such availability in order to provide the Spanish-speaking community in Texas better access to pertinent legislative information that affects that community.
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 H.B. 288 amends the Government Code to require the home page of each house of the legislature that may be viewed by the public on the Internet to be made available in both English and Spanish.
EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2016.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, the Texas Senate makes its website available in English and Spanish, but the website of the Texas House of Representatives is available only in English. According to certain data, over 30 percent of Texans speak Spanish. Given this statistic and the growing diversity of Texas, some parties think that state services such as legislative websites should be accessible in Spanish. These parties note that communication between constituents and their legislative officials is of the utmost importance and argue that making the home page of both legislative houses available in Spanish would help to break down language barriers that could interfere with that communication. H.B. 288 seeks to ensure such availability in order to provide the Spanish-speaking community in Texas better access to pertinent legislative information that affects that community.
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
H.B. 288 amends the Government Code to require the home page of each house of the legislature that may be viewed by the public on the Internet to be made available in both English and Spanish.
EFFECTIVE DATE
January 1, 2016.