By: Parker S.B. No. 1645     (Lambert, Ashby)           A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the hearings officer of the Texas Department of   Banking.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 11.202(b), Finance Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  The Texas Department of Banking may employ a hearings   officer to serve the finance agencies as determined by interagency   agreement.  For the purposes of Section 2003.021, Government Code,   a hearings officer employed under this section may be retained   under contract to provide services on a part-time basis and is   considered to be an employee of each agency for which hearing   services are provided.  The hearings officer's only duty under the   hearings officer's contract is to preside over matters related to   contested cases before a finance agency.          SECTION 2.  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, 2023.