HBA-MSH C.S.S.B. 874 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 874 By: Lindsay County Affairs 4/29/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law does not authorize counties to require a pre-bid conference as a precondition for having a bid accepted for goods and services. Pre-bid conferences are useful for establishing a clear project understanding for all bidders. Such conferences clarify basic requirements and procedures for bidding, highlight specific project issues that must be addressed, and provide a forum for questions and answers in the presence of other prospective bidders. C.S.S.B. 874 authorizes a county or other governmental entity in a county with a population of 2.8 million or more to require attendance at a pre-bid conference as a precondition for having a bid accepted for goods and services. 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 C.S.S.B. 874 amends the Local Government Code to modify the purchasing authority of a county with a population of 2.8 million or more or a conservation or reclamation district located in a county with a population of 2.8 million or more to authorize the commissioners court to require attendance by a principal, officer, or employee of each prospective bidder at a mandatory pre-bid conference conducted to discuss contract requirements and answer questions of prospective bidders. If such attendance is required in determining the lowest and best bid for a contract, a commissioners court is authorized to condition acceptance of bids on that attendance. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 874 differs from the original by providing that the provisions apply only in a county with a population of 2.8 million or more.