|
Senate Bill 255 |
Senate Author: Zaffirini |
|
Effective: 9-1-17 |
House Sponsor: Simmons |
Senate Bill 255 amends the State Employees Training Act, Government Code, to require the comptroller of public accounts to develop and administer purchasing and contract management training programs for state agency employees. The bill sets out guidelines for the administration of the programs and revises related instruction and certification requirements. The bill requires a state agency that spends more than $5,000 in a state fiscal year for such training to submit to the Legislative Budget Board an annual report relating to the administrators and employees participating in the training. The bill also authorizes a state agency in consultation with the comptroller to develop and administer agency‑specific purchasing and contract management programs instead of or as a supplement to the programs developed by the comptroller.
Senate Bill 255 excepts the following contracts from statutory provisions relating to a required disclosure of interested parties involving a contract with a governmental entity or state agency: a contract with a publicly traded business entity, a contract with an electric utility, and a contract with a gas utility. The bill clarifies that statutory provisions relating to public and private facilities and infrastructure apply to a metropolitan rapid transit authority of a principal municipality with a population of 1.9 million or more operating under applicable law.