H.B. 2242 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 2242
By: Smith, Wayne
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
Under current law, a county with a population of 2.8 million or more is
permitted to require prospective bidders on proposed county purchases or
projects to attend a pre-bid conference.  Only those prospective bidders
that attend the mandatory pre-bid conference are eligible to bid on a
proposed purchase or project.  If the county extends the time for
receiving and opening bids on a proposed purchase or project for which a
mandatory pre-bid conference was held, current law arguably requires the
county to re-publish notice in a newspaper in general circulation in the
county, even though only the pre-bid conference attendees are eligible to
bid. 

The purpose of the H.B. 2242 is to allow a county of a population of 2.8
million or more, in those cases where the county extends the time for
receiving and opening bids on a proposed purchase or project for which a
mandatory pre-bid conference was held, to directly notify via certified
mail the pre-bid conference attendees. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS
SECTION 1.  Amends Section 262.0256, Local Government Code, by adding new
subsection (c) that requires the county, if it extends the time for
receiving and opening bids after conducting a mandatory pre-bid
conference, to directly notify the pre-bid conference attendees via
certified mail, rather than publish another notice in a newspaper of
general circulation in the county. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 271.0565, Local Government Code, by adding new
subsection (c) that requires the county, if it extends the time for
receiving and opening bids after conducting a mandatory pre-bid
conference, to directly notify the pre-bid conference attendees via
certified mail, rather than publish another notice in a newspaper of
general circulation in the county. 

SECTION 3.  Sets effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.