1-1     By:  Jones of Dallas (Senate Sponsor - Carona)        H.B. No. 1619
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 5, 2001;
 1-3     April 9, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; April 19, 2001, reported favorably by
 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 19, 2001, sent to
 1-6     printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to authorizing county purchasing agents to establish a
1-10     county purchasing card program.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1. Sections 262.011(l) and (o), Local Government
1-13     Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-14           (l)  The county purchasing agent may have assistants to aid
1-15     in the performance of the agent's duties.  A person who is
1-16     authorized by the county purchasing agent to use a county
1-17     purchasing card while making a county purchase is considered an
1-18     assistant of the county purchasing agent to the extent the person
1-19     complies with the rules and procedures prescribed for the use of
1-20     county purchasing cards as adopted by the county purchasing agent
1-21     under Subsection (o).  The county purchasing agent and assistants
1-22     may have any help, equipment, supplies, and traveling expenses that
1-23     are approved and considered advisable by the board that appointed
1-24     the agent.
1-25           (o)  The county purchasing agent shall adopt the rules and
1-26     procedures necessary to implement the agent's duties under this
1-27     section subject to approval by the commissioners court.
1-28     Notwithstanding Subsection (f) or other law, rules and procedures
1-29     adopted under this subsection may include rules and procedures for
1-30     persons to use county purchasing cards to pay for county purchases
1-31     under the direction and supervision of the county purchasing agent.
1-32           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-33     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-34     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-35     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-36     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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