1-1     By:  Longoria (Senate Sponsor - Madla)                H.B. No. 2729
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 1999;
 1-3     May 13, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by
 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to
 1-6     printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to regional business certification programs for
1-10     purchasing by political subdivisions.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Chapter 280, Local Government Code, is amended by
1-13     adding Section 280.003 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 280.003.  REGIONAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS.  (a)
1-15     Any combination of counties, municipalities, special districts, or
1-16     other political subdivisions, by ordinance, resolution, rule,
1-17     order, or other means, may agree to establish a regional business
1-18     certification program to be used in connection with the political
1-19     subdivisions' purchasing procedures.
1-20           (b)  A consolidated entity administering a program
1-21     established under this section may adopt rules, regulations, or
1-22     other provisions that are  designed to streamline and centralize
1-23     the certification process of qualified businesses, including small
1-24     and emerging businesses, and that allow businesses, as a result of
1-25     being certified by the program, to participate in the contracting
1-26     and procurement process of any member entity involved in the
1-27     regional business certification program.
1-28           (c)  The purpose of this section is to permit participating
1-29     political subdivisions the greatest possible flexibility to
1-30     organize a regional business certification program most suitable to
1-31     address the region's problems related to business certification.
1-32           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-33     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-34     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-35     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-36     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-37     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-38     passage, and it is so enacted.
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