Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 311 amends the Government Code to replace the General Services Commission (GSC) with the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) and transfer to the Department of Information Services GSC powers and duties relating to the provision of telecommunications services to state government. The bill requires the department to create a division to oversee the implementation of major information resources projects. It abolishes the Telecommunications Planning Group, which is replaced by the Telecommunications Planning and Advisory Council.

            Bill provisions relating to the TBPC establish three contracting methods for state building construction and adopt procedures for selecting one of the three for a project. The bill creates a Contract Advisory Team to assist state agencies and requires the attorney general to develop and periodically update a contract management guide for state agency use. It requires the TBPC to develop a multiple award contract schedule based on contracts awarded competitively by the federal government and governmental entities in other states. The bill mandates use of a best value method for TBPC leasing of state office space, allows the use of private brokerage or real estate firms for such purposes, authorizes the delegation of lease contracting authority to agencies, and requires the TBPC to conduct a warehouse lease evaluation. Other provisions relate to online reservations and ticketing for state agency travel, the outsourcing of commercially available TBPC services, the management of surplus property, laws relating to historically underutilized businesses, and operation of the state cemetery.

            Much of the bill takes effect September 1, 2001, but the replacement of the GSC by the TBPC takes effect at the latter's first meeting, and provisions relating to TBPC member training take effect January 31, 2003. Surplus property provisions take effect January 1, 2002. A requirement for state agency compliance with the attorney general's contracting guide takes effect January 1, 2003.