HBA-TYH C.S.H.B. 1471 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1471
By: Hilbert
State Affairs
4/15/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently legislation can be accompanied by a fiscal note prepared by the
Legislative Budget Board. However, there is no description of the impact a
proposed measure may have on small business. C.S.H.B. 1471 allows a
committee chair in either house of the legislature to request a small
business impact statement including the regulatory and fiscal implications
to small businesses. 

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 Chapter 314, Government Code, by adding Section 314.005,
as follows: 
 
Sec. 314.005.  SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT.  Requires the director of
the Legislative Budget Board (director), at the request of the chair of a
committee of either house of the legislature, to prepare a statement
describing the regulatory and fiscal effects on small businesses in this
state of a proposed bill or resolution pending before the committee.
Requires the director to prepare and deliver the statement to the chair of
the committee in the same manner as similar statements prepared by the
director, if any, under the rules of the applicable house of the
legislature.  Provides that the impact statement must be attached to the
bill or resolution following the fiscal note attached under Section 314.003
(Attachment to Bill or Resolution). Defines "small business."  

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute modifies the original bill in SECTION 1 by defining "small
business" as have the meaning assigned by Section 2006.001, Government Code
(a legal entity, including a corporation, partnership, or sole
proprietorship, that is formed for the purpose of making a profit, is
independently owned and operated, and has fewer than 100 employees or less
than $1 million in annual gross receipts).  The original bill defines small
business, for the purposes of this section, as a business with fewer than
50 employees.