By:  Montford                                         S.B. No. 1295
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to use of the open market purchase procedure for certain
    1-2  state travel services.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subsections (b) and (c), Section 14.02, State
    1-5  Purchasing and General Services Act (Article 601b, Vernon's Texas
    1-6  Civil Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (b)  The office shall <may> negotiate contracts with private
    1-8  travel agents, with travel and transportation providers, and with
    1-9  credit card companies that provide travel services and other
   1-10  benefits to the state.  To the greatest extent possible, the
   1-11  commission shall use electronic means to solicit and receive bids
   1-12  under this subsection.   The commission shall make contracts with
   1-13  travel agents that meet certain reasonable requirements promulgated
   1-14  by the central travel office, allowing contracts to provide travel
   1-15  services by as many private travel agents as possible with
   1-16  preference given to Texas resident entities <more than one provider
   1-17  of travel agency services>.  Contracts entered into under this
   1-18  section are not subject to the competitive bidding requirements
   1-19  imposed under Article 3 of this Act.  The comptroller of public
   1-20  accounts shall audit travel vouchers in accordance with Chapter
   1-21  403, Government Code, and its subsequent amendments, for compliance
   1-22  with rules adopted to enforce the provisions of this section.
   1-23        (c)  State agencies in the executive branch of state
    2-1  government shall participate in accordance with commission rules in
    2-2  the commission's contracts for travel services, provided that all
    2-3  travel agents approved by the commission are permitted to contract
    2-4  with the state and provide travel services to all state agencies.
    2-5  Institutions of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
    2-6  Education Code, shall not be required to participate in the
    2-7  commission's contracts for travel agency services or other travel
    2-8  services purchased from funds other than general revenue funds or
    2-9  educational and general funds as defined by Section 51.009,
   2-10  Education Code.  The commission may provide by rule for exemptions
   2-11  from required participation.  Agencies of the state that are not
   2-12  required to participate in commission contracts for travel services
   2-13  may participate as provided by Subsection (a) of this section.
   2-14        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-15        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.