1-1 By: Farabee (Senate Sponsor - Madla) H.B. No. 2863
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
1-3 May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by
1-5 the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to
1-6 printer.)
1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-8 AN ACT
1-9 relating to the threshold contract amount at which a county and
1-10 certain municipalities are required to engage in a competitive
1-11 purchasing procedure for certain purchases.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13 SECTION 1. Section 271.054, Local Government Code, is amended
1-14 to read as follows:
1-15 Sec. 271.054. COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENT. Before the
1-16 governing body of an issuer may enter into a contract requiring an
1-17 expenditure by or imposing an obligation or liability on the
1-18 issuer, or on a subdivision of the issuer if the issuer is a
1-19 county, of more than $25,000 [$15,000], the governing body must
1-20 submit the proposed contract to competitive bidding.
1-21 SECTION 2. Sections 252.312(b) and (c), Transportation Code,
1-22 are amended to read as follows:
1-23 (b) If the county road engineer so recommends and the
1-24 commissioners court considers it to be in the best interest of the
1-25 county, a purchase in an amount of $25,000 [$15,000] or less may be
1-26 made through negotiation by the commissioners court or the court's
1-27 authorized representative on requisition to be approved by the
1-28 commissioners court or the county auditor without advertising for
1-29 competitive bids.
1-30 (c) A purchase may not be divided or reduced to avoid the
1-31 competitive bidding requirement on a purchase that would otherwise
1-32 cost more than $25,000 [$15,000].
1-33 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-34 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-35 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
1-36 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-37 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-38 * * * * *