By Harris S.B. No. 793 75R3399 MCK-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the purchase of substitute care services. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. (a) A representative from each state agency that 1-5 purchases substitute care services for children under the state's 1-6 care shall meet to: 1-7 (1) assess the total need for substitute care services 1-8 in this state; and 1-9 (2) develop and implement a competitive bidding 1-10 process to purchase substitute care services. 1-11 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, 1-12 each state agency must use the competitive bidding process created 1-13 under Subsection (a) of this section to purchase substitute care 1-14 services. 1-15 (c) A state agency may not use the competitive bidding 1-16 process to purchase: 1-17 (1) foster family care services; 1-18 (2) substitute care services in a geographic area of 1-19 this state that has a shortage of service providers; or 1-20 (3) specialized substitute care services if there is a 1-21 shortage of providers of the specialized services. 1-22 SECTION 2. The state agency representatives shall meet and 1-23 develop the competitive bidding process for purchasing substitute 1-24 services as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act. 2-1 SECTION 3. The Department of Protective and Regulatory 2-2 Services shall implement a competitive bidding process not later 2-3 than September 1, 1997, using the department's existing outcome 2-4 measures. Other state agencies shall implement a competitive 2-5 bidding process not later than September 1, 1998. 2-6 SECTION 4. This Act expires September 1, 1999. 2-7 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-13 passage, and it is so enacted.