HBA-DMH H.B. 1612 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1612
By: Goolsby
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
6/12/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 77th Legislature, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC)
permit application fees were required to be paid to the state in the form
of a cashier's check or money order. For TABC to move forward in e-commerce
or other types of actions involving the Internet, it is important for TABC
to be able to offer convenient forms of payment, including electronic
payments. House Bill 1612 includes additional forms of payment among the
types of acceptable payments for permit application fees and allows TABC to
set a reasonable fee for processing such payments. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
in SECTION 1 (Section 11.35, Alcoholic Beverage Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1612 amends the Alcoholic Beverage Code to include a teller's
check, a check drawn on the account of a corporation applying for a permit,
or payment by credit card, charge card, or other electronic form of payment
that is approved by Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) rule as an
acceptable form of payment for a permit application.  The bill authorizes
TABC to set a reasonable processing fee to recover expenses incurred by
TABC in processing the electronic payment. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.