By: Birdwell S.B. No. 526
(In the Senate - Filed January 19, 2017; February 8, 2017,
read first time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce;
April 10, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 10, 2017,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 526 By: Nichols
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the abolishment of certain advisory committees and
other entities created to assist or advise state agencies or
officers.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 402.033, Government Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
follows:
(b) If a person determines or reasonably suspects that
fraudulent activity has been committed or is about to be committed,
the person shall report the information to an authorized
governmental agency. If a person reports the information to the
attorney general, the attorney general shall notify an appropriate
law enforcement agency with jurisdiction to investigate the
fraudulent activity [each agency with representation on the
residential mortgage fraud task force under Section 402.032]. If a
financial institution or person voluntarily or pursuant to this
section reports fraudulent activity to an authorized governmental
agency, the financial institution or person may not notify any
person involved in the fraudulent activity that the fraudulent
activity has been reported, and the authorized governmental agency
who has any knowledge that such report was made shall not disclose
to any person involved in the fraudulent activity that the
fraudulent activity has been reported. Any financial institution
or person that makes a voluntary report of any possible violation of
law or regulation to an authorized governmental agency shall not be
liable to any person under any law or regulation of the state or the
United States for such report.
(d) An authorized governmental agency may share
confidential information or information to which access is
otherwise restricted by law with one or more other authorized
governmental agencies. Except as provided by this subsection,
confidential information that is shared under this subsection
remains confidential and legal restrictions on access to the
information apply.
SECTION 2. The following provisions are repealed:
(1) Section 231.013, Family Code;
(2) Section 402.032, Government Code;
(3) Sections 195.002(d) and 195.008, Local Government
Code; and
(4) Subchapter E, Chapter 110, Occupations Code.
SECTION 3. On the effective date of this Act, the following
are abolished:
(1) the information resources steering committee;
(2) the residential mortgage fraud task force;
(3) the Electronic Recording Advisory Committee; and
(4) the interagency advisory committee to the Council
on Sex Offender Treatment.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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