By Patterson                                     S.B. No. 863

      75R6423 JJT-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to precommitment approval for certain purchases of a port

 1-3     authority.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 60.403, Water Code, is amended to read as

 1-6     follows:

 1-7           Sec. 60.403.  CONTRACTS:  PURCHASES.  (a)  A port commission

 1-8     or authorized designated officer of the port commission may make

 1-9     routine purchases or contracts in an amount not to exceed $25,000.

1-10           (b)  Before a purchase is made, a purchase order or other

1-11     form of precommitment approval must be signed by the executive

1-12     director of  the district or the port authority or the authorized

1-13     designated officer.  For routine contracts or purchases, the

1-14     precommitment approval may be in the form of a list of approved

1-15     routine purchases or contracts signed by the executive director.

1-16     The signed list shall remain on file in the offices of the district

1-17     or port authority.

1-18           (c)  A [The] purchase order must be executed in duplicate

1-19     with one copy delivered to the person from whom the purchase is

1-20     made and one copy remaining on file in the district or port

1-21     authority.

1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-23     applies only to a purchase made on or after the effective date of

1-24     this Act.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.