HBA-JRA H.B. 765 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 765 By: Maxey Public Health 3/15/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Manufactured Food License Division of the Texas Department of Health (TDH) annually licenses all wholesale food manufacturers, distributors, food salvage companies, and water vending machine operators who operate in the state to ensure the safety of manufactured, processed, packed, or handled human food. Currently the revenue processing system used by TDH can take up to 12 working days, making it difficult for businesses to track the progress of a license application in its early stages. The 1998 staff draft of the Texas Performance Review outlines several methods by which TDH could work with the treasury division at the comptroller's office to reduce the fee processing time to 48 hours. H.B. 765 would require TDH to establish a new license fee processing system to reduce processing time to a maximum of 48 hours. 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 Subchapter J, Chapter 431, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 431.2245, as follows: Sec. 431.2245. PROCESSING OF LICENSING FEES. Requires the commissioner of health (commissioner) to establish a system for processing licensing fees under this chapter, including vended water facility licensing fees, under which a fee payment made by a negotiable instrument must be processed and submitted for deposit by the Texas Department of Health (department) to the treasury division of the office of the comptroller within 48 hours of the receipt of the negotiable instrument by the department. Requires the comptroller to cooperate with the commissioner in developing the fee processing system. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 432, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 432.0095, as follows: Sec. 432.0095. PROCESSING OF FOOD SALVAGE ESTABLISHMENT LICENSING FEES. Requires the commissioner of health (commissioner) to establish a system for processing food salvage establishment licensing fees, under which a fee payment made by a negotiable instrument must be processed and submitted for deposit by the Texas Department of Health (department) to the treasury division of the office of the comptroller within 48 hours of the receipt of the negotiable instrument by the department. Requires the comptroller to cooperate with the commissioner in developing the fee processing system. SECTION 3. Requires the commissioner of public health to implement the fee processing systems required by Sections 431.2245 and 432.0095, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, by January 1, 2000. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.