HBA-BSM H.B. 3506 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3506 By: Maxey Judicial Affairs 4/4/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a notary public is authorized to charge a maximum fee of $6 for the notary's services. However, some notaries may be getting around this maximum fee by charging a travel fee that can be several times higher than the maximum fee. There are no current state provisions that address this issue. House Bill 3506 prohibits a notary public from adding any additional costs to the authorized fees for travel expenses or any other incidental expenses associated with notary public services. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 3506 amends the Government Code to prohibit a notary public from adding any additional costs to the authorized fees for travel expenses or any other incidental expenses associated with the services for which the notary public may charge the authorized fee. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.