SRC-PNG, ARR S.B. 690 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 690
76R6392 BDH-DBy: Lucio
Natural Resources
4/4/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, Texas law requires Texas public schools and universities to give
first preference to purchasing Texas and United States products. S.B. 690
would require the comptroller of public accounts to conduct an analysis of
purchases by schools and state agencies to determine the effectiveness of
this law, and would give preference in purchasing to United States products
over foreign products when Texas products are not available. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 690 requires preference to Texas and U.S. products in
purchasing by state agencies, school districts, and certain charter
schools.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 44B, Education Code, by adding Section 44.042, as
follows: 

Sec. 44.042. PREFERENCE TO TEXAS AND UNITED STATES PRODUCTS. Requires a
school district or open-enrollment charter school that purchases goods,
including agricultural products, to give preference to those produced or
grown in this state, if the cost to the district or school and the quality
are equal. Requires the school district or openenrollment charter school to
give preference to goods produced or grown in other states of the United
States over foreign products, if the cost to the school district or school
and the quality are equal, if goods, including agricultural products,
produced or grown in this state are not equal in cost and quality to other
products. Requires a school district or open enrollment charter school that
purchases vegetation for landscaping purposes, including plants, to give
preference to Texas vegetation native to the region if the cost to the
school district or school is not greater and the quality is not inferior.
Requires the comptroller to conduct an analysis of purchases by school
districts and open-enrollment charter schools to determine the
effectiveness of this section and to report the analysis to the governor,
lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives not later
than December 31 of each even-numbered year. Defines "agricultural
product."  

SECTION 2. Amends Section 2155.444, Government Code, to require the
comptroller to conduct an analysis of purchases by the General Services
Commission and state agencies to determine the effectiveness of this
section and to report the analysis to the governor, lieutenant governor,
and speaker of the representatives not later than December 31 of each
even-numbered year. 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.