Bill Text: TX HB4232 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the COVID-19 Consumer and Investor Fraud Task Force.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-29 - Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services [HB4232 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB4232-Introduced.html
| 87R7236 MLH-D | ||
| By: Raymond | H.B. No. 4232 | |
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| relating to the establishment of the COVID-19 Consumer and Investor | ||
| Fraud Task Force. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
| (1) "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus | ||
| disease. | ||
| (2) "COVID-19 public health emergency" means a state | ||
| of disaster declared in a proclamation or executive order issued by | ||
| the governor in response to COVID-19, including a continuation of | ||
| the state of disaster under a renewal of the proclamation or | ||
| executive order. | ||
| (3) "Task force" means the COVID-19 Consumer and | ||
| Investor Fraud Task Force established under this Act. | ||
| SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. The COVID-19 | ||
| Consumer and Investor Fraud Task Force is established to help | ||
| protect consumers and investors by preventing and reducing the | ||
| incidences of fraud related to the COVID-19 public health | ||
| emergency. | ||
| SECTION 3. TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP. (a) The task force is | ||
| composed of representatives of the following agencies: | ||
| (1) the office of the attorney general; | ||
| (2) the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner; | ||
| (3) the Texas Department of Banking; | ||
| (4) the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending; | ||
| and | ||
| (5) the State Securities Board. | ||
| (b) The executive head of each agency listed in Subsection | ||
| (a) of this section shall appoint a representative to serve as the | ||
| agency's representative on the task force not later than October 1, | ||
| 2021. | ||
| SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER; MEETINGS. (a) The members of | ||
| the task force shall select the presiding officer of the task force. | ||
| (b) The presiding officer shall call the initial meeting of | ||
| the task force on or before January 1, 2022. Subject to Subsection | ||
| (c) of this section, the task force shall meet at the times and | ||
| places that the presiding officer determines are appropriate. | ||
| (c) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any | ||
| other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call, | ||
| videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A | ||
| meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or | ||
| other similar telecommunication method is subject to the | ||
| requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government | ||
| Code. | ||
| SECTION 5. DUTIES OF TASK FORCE. (a) The task force shall | ||
| facilitate collaboration between the agencies represented on the | ||
| task force to: | ||
| (1) provide information and resources to help | ||
| consumers and investors avoid becoming a victim of fraud related to | ||
| the COVID-19 public health emergency; | ||
| (2) provide information and resources, including | ||
| legal aid resources, to help consumers and investors who have been | ||
| victims of fraud during the COVID-19 public health emergency; and | ||
| (3) recommend further action to reduce and combat the | ||
| prevalence of fraud relating to the COVID-19 public health | ||
| emergency. | ||
| (b) The task force shall coordinate and collaborate with | ||
| other state agencies not participating in the task force as | ||
| appropriate. | ||
| SECTION 6. REPORT. The task force shall submit a quarterly | ||
| written report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the | ||
| speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the | ||
| legislature, detailing: | ||
| (1) the information and resources made publicly | ||
| available to consumers by the agencies represented on the task | ||
| force; | ||
| (2) the number of consumer complaints received by the | ||
| agencies represented on the task force that allege fraud that | ||
| occurred during the COVID-19 public health emergency; | ||
| (3) the nature of the consumer complaints described by | ||
| Subdivision (2) of this section; and | ||
| (4) recommendations of further action that can be | ||
| taken by the state to prevent and reduce the incidence of fraud | ||
| during the COVID-19 public health emergency. | ||
| SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this | ||
| Act expires on the one-year anniversary of the date the final | ||
| COVID-19 public health emergency declaration terminates. | ||
| SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect | ||
| immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members | ||
| elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas | ||
| Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
| immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
