BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1647 By: Pitts 03-15-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND City planning services are generally considered professional services and so should be purchased by cities through an RFP (request for proposal) process or negotiated service contract. In some areas, confusion exists on type of service and planning services are solicited under the sealed competitive bid process. Engineers are prohibited from using that system under other statutes so they are precluded from pursuing those contracts. PURPOSE Define planning services and remove them from the competitive bidding process. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Adds planning services to the list of definitions in the Local Government Code. SECTION 2. Adds planning services to the list of exceptions from competitive bidding requirements. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1647 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on March 13, 1995. The following persons testified in favor of the bill: Rep. Pitts; Dan C. Boutwell, representing the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association; Gene Cravens, representing himself; and Gerhardt Schulle, Jr., representing the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. The following people testified on the bill: Henry Avila, representing himself. The bill was reported favorably, without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, and 0 absent.