By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 342
       73R3624 SMH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to changes in plans, specifications, or proposals
    1-3  pertaining to contracts made by counties.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 262.031(b), Local Government Code, is
    1-6  amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (b)  If a change order involves an increase or decrease in
    1-8  cost of $15,000 or less, the commissioners court may grant general
    1-9  authority to an employee to approve the change orders.  However,
   1-10  the original contract price may not be increased by more than 25
   1-11  percent unless the change order is necessary to comply with a
   1-12  federal, state, or local statute, rule, regulation, or judicial
   1-13  decision enacted, adopted, or rendered after the contract was made.
   1-14  The original contract price may not be decreased by 18 percent or
   1-15  more without the consent of the contractor.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-21  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-22  passage, and it is so enacted.