By Ellis                                              S.B. No. 1721
         76R7147 JRD-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the posting of state procurement information on the
 1-3     electronic state business daily.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2155.074, Government Code, as added by
 1-6     Chapter 508, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997,
 1-7     is amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (h), and (n) and
 1-8     adding Subsections (o) and (p) to read as follows:
 1-9           (b)  In this section, "department" means the Texas Department
1-10     of Economic Development [Commerce].
1-11           (c)  The department each business day shall produce and post
1-12     a business daily in an electronic format.  The department shall
1-13     post in the business daily information as prescribed by this
1-14     section about each state agency procurement opportunity that will
1-15     exceed $25,000 in value.  The department shall also post in the
1-16     business daily other information relating to the business activity
1-17     of the state that the department considers to be of interest to the
1-18     public.
1-19           (h)  The state agency shall [continue to either]:
1-20                 (1)  post notice of the procurement opportunity in
1-21     accordance with Subsection (g) until:
1-22                       (A)  the later [latest] of:
1-23                             (i)  21 calendar days after the date the
1-24     notice is first posted; or
 2-1                             (ii)  the date the state agency will no
 2-2     longer accept bids, proposals, or other applicable expressions of
 2-3     interest for the procurement; or
 2-4                       (B)  the date the state agency decides not to
 2-5     make the procurement; or
 2-6                 (2)  post the entire bid or proposal solicitation
 2-7     package in accordance with Subsection (g) until:
 2-8                       (A)  the later [latest] of:
 2-9                             (i)  14 calendar days after the date the
2-10     bid or proposal solicitation package is first posted; or
2-11                             (ii)  the date the state agency will no
2-12     longer accept bids, proposals, or other applicable expressions of
2-13     interest for the procurement; or
2-14                       (B)  the date the state agency decides not to
2-15     make the procurement.
2-16           (n)  This section does not apply to:
2-17                 (1)  a state agency to which Section 51.9335 or 73.115,
2-18     Education Code, applies;
2-19                 (2)  a state agency purchase under Chapter 771 or 791;
2-20                 (3)  a proprietary purchase under Section 2155.067;
2-21                 (4)  the exercise of a contract renewal option, if the
2-22     original contract contained the option;
2-23                 (5)  a purchase from a preferred supplier, if
2-24     purchasing from the preferred supplier is authorized or required by
2-25     state or federal law;
2-26                 (6)  a purchase or lease of an automated information
2-27     system through the catalogue procedure under Subchapter B, Chapter
 3-1     2157;
 3-2                 (7)  a one-time contract extension of 31 days or less;
 3-3                 (8)  a contract of employment with an independent
 3-4     contractor who is an individual, if the contract is not for
 3-5     professional or consulting services;
 3-6                 (9)  a purchase of equipment for covert operations or
 3-7     other matters related to security by a state agency performing law
 3-8     enforcement functions;
 3-9                 (10)  a contract for leased space, if the space is not
3-10     leased under Section 2167.053 or 2167.054;
3-11                 (11)  a contract for the award of a grant under a
3-12     public grant program; or
3-13                 (12)  a noncompetitive purchase of goods or services
3-14     for a client of a health or human services agency.
3-15           (o)  A bidder or offeror is not required to submit a request
3-16     for information under the public information law, Chapter 552,
3-17     before submitting a bid, proposal, or other expression of interest
3-18     for a procurement for which notice is posted under this section.
3-19           (p)  This section does not apply to a purchase of goods or
3-20     services related to the Year 2000 computer and embedded system
3-21     problem if the state agency must make the procurement to prevent a
3-22     hazard to life, health, safety, the public welfare, or property or
3-23     to avoid undue additional costs to the state. This subsection
3-24     expires January 1, 2001.
3-25           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-26           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 4-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 4-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 4-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.