HBA-JEK, CCH C.S.H.B. 998 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 998
By: Hartnett
Public Health
4/12/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 1997, the legislature established the animal friendly account to be
administered by the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and funded by fees
collected from the sale of  "animal friendly" license plates.  The purpose
of the account is to make grants to organizations that sterilize animals at
minimal or no cost. Current law provides that expenditures from the account
can only be made after $500,000 has been credited to the account. The
animal friendly advisory committee (committee), consisting of seven members
that serve two-year terms, was established to assist the Texas Board of
Health in developing guidelines for the expenditure of money credited to
the account and to make recommendations regarding applications submitted
for grants.    According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the
"animal friendly" license plates are a popular theme license plate and the
fund totals more than $500,000.  Increasing the term of each committee
member to four years would enable them to gain greater expertise.  C.S.H.B.
998 increases the term of committee members to four years and removes the
provision that restricts TDH from making expenditures until $500,000 has
been credited to the fund. 

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

C.S.H.B. 998 amends the Health and Safety Code to remove the provision that
the Texas Department of Health is authorized to spend money credited to the
animal friendly account only after at least $500,000 has been credited to
the account.  The bill increases the term each member of the animal
friendly advisory committee serves from two to four years, and extends the
terms of the four members whose terms were to expire on January 31, 2003,
to three-year terms that expire on January 31, 2004. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 998 differs from the original bill by extending the terms of the
four members of the animal friendly advisory committee (committee) that
were to expire on January 31, 2003, to three-year terms that expire on
January 31, 2004.  The substitute provides that members of the committee
serve staggered four-year terms and that the terms expiring on January 31
of each even-numbered year be as near as possible to onehalf of the total
number of membership terms.  The original provided that the terms of four
members expired on January 31 of every other odd-numbered year and that the
terms of the remaining members expired on January 31 of every other
even-numbered year.