By:  Patterson                                         S.B. No. 863

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to precommitment approval for certain purchases of a port

 1-2     authority.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 60.403, Water Code, is amended to read as

 1-5     follows:

 1-6           Sec. 60.403.  CONTRACTS:  PURCHASES.  (a)  A port commission

 1-7     or authorized designated officer of the port commission may make

 1-8     routine purchases or contracts in an amount not to exceed $25,000.

 1-9           (b)  Before a purchase is made, a purchase order or other

1-10     form of precommitment approval must be signed by the executive

1-11     director of the district or the port authority or the authorized

1-12     designated officer.  For routine contracts or purchases, the

1-13     precommitment approval may be in the form of a list of approved

1-14     routine purchases or contracts signed by the executive director.

1-15     The signed list shall remain on file in the offices of the district

1-16     or port authority.

1-17           (c)  A [The] purchase order must be executed in duplicate

1-18     with one copy delivered to the person from whom the purchase is

1-19     made and one copy remaining on file in the district or port

1-20     authority.

1-21           (d)  If any other type of purchase of the district or port

1-22     authority is subject to the approval of a county auditor, the list

1-23     of routine purchases or contracts must be approved by the county

 2-1     auditor before the purchases or contracts may be made.

 2-2           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-3     applies only to a purchase made on or after the effective date of

 2-4     this Act.

 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.