By Farabee                                            H.B. No. 2863
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to county competitive purchases.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Section 271.054, Local Government Code, is amended
 1-5     to read as follows:
 1-6           Before the governing body of an issuer may enter into a
 1-7     contract requiring an expenditure by or imposing an obligation or
 1-8     liability on the issuer, or on a subdivision of the issuer if the
 1-9     issuer is a county, of more than [$15,000] $25,000, the governing
1-10     body must submit the proposed contract to competitive bidding.
1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 252.312(b), Transportation Code, is
1-12     amended to read as follows:
1-13           (b)  If the county road engineer so recommends and the
1-14     commissioners court considers it to be in the best interest of the
1-15     county, a purchase in an amount of [$15,000] $25,000 or less may be
1-16     made through negotiation by the commissioners court or the court's
1-17     authorized representative on requisition to be approved by the
1-18     commissioners court or the county auditor without advertising for
1-19     competitive bids.
1-20           SECTION 3.  Section 252.312(c), Transportation Code, is
1-21     amended to read as follows:
1-22           (c)  A purchase may not be divided or reduced to avoid the
1-23     competitive bidding requirement on a purchase that would otherwise
 2-1     cost more than [$15,000] $25,000.
 2-2           SECTION 4.  This Act will take effect immediately if it
 2-3     receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
 2-4     house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
 2-5     If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
 2-6     effect, this Act takes effect on September 1, 2001.