HBA-TBM H.B. 1981 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1981 By: Farabee County Affairs 3/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, it is unclear whether counties may accept competitive bids electronically because such bids are required to be sealed. Modern identification and security measures for electronic communications make it possible to ensure the confidentiality of the bids. Electronic bidding should help streamline the processing of bids and vendors may benefit from the convenience. House Bill 1981 authorizes electronic bidding and provides for the adoption of rules regarding electronic bidding. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1981 amends the Local Government Code to define competitive bidding and provide that the county purchasing agent, prior to receiving electronic bids, must adopt rules to ensure the identification, security, and confidentiality of such bids. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.