By Turner of Harris H.B. No. 896 74R4254 GWK-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to requiring bidders for certain contracts with the Texas 1-3 Department of Criminal Justice to show proof of support of 1-4 employment programs for released felons and to the use of that 1-5 information by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice in awarding 1-6 contracts. 1-7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-8 SECTION 1. Chapter 493, Government Code, is amended by 1-9 adding Section 493.015 to read as follows: 1-10 Sec. 493.015. (a) The board shall require each contractor 1-11 or vendor described by Subsection (b) who is bidding on a contract 1-12 to provide goods or services to the department to submit with the 1-13 bid information concerning: 1-14 (1) any program operated by or to be operated by the 1-15 contractor or vendor to employ released felons in the business of 1-16 the contractor or vendor; 1-17 (2) financial contributions previously made by the 1-18 contractor or vendor or that the contractor or vendor intends to 1-19 make to programs that have as a goal the employment of released 1-20 felons; and 1-21 (3) the operation of programs described by Subdivision 1-22 (1) by any subcontractors the contractor or vendor intends to use 1-23 in performing the contract with the department and the financial 1-24 contributions to programs described by Subdivision (2) made by 2-1 those subcontractors. 2-2 (b) This section applies only to a contractor or vendor 2-3 bidding on a contract to provide goods or services to the 2-4 department if: 2-5 (1) the amount of the contract is $100,000 or more; or 2-6 (2) in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of 2-7 the submission of the bid, the contractor or vendor had been 2-8 awarded contracts to provide goods or services to the department 2-9 and the total amount of those contracts equals $100,000 or more. 2-10 (c) Notwithstanding Section 496.051(a) or other law, 2-11 including the State Purchasing and General Services Act (Article 2-12 601b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), the board may consider 2-13 favorably information about a contractor's or vendor's employment 2-14 of released felons or participation in or financial support of 2-15 employment programs for released felons in determining whether to 2-16 award a contract. 2-17 (d) The board shall adopt rules relating to: 2-18 (1) the evaluation by the department of information 2-19 provided under Subsection (a); and 2-20 (2) the weight that the board gives the information 2-21 described by Subsection (c) in awarding a contract. 2-22 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-27 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-1 passage, and it is so enacted.