H.B. 3561 78 )    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 3561
By: Bonnen
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 
Angleton-Danbury Hospital District has requested the same flexibility in
public works projects as municipalities, counties, and water districts
under the Local Government Code and school districts under the Education
Code, whereby modern and cost-effective procurement procedures such as
competitive proposals and design-build contracts are available as
alternatives to basic, traditional competitive bidding.  In this way the
governmental entity may use whichever method will provide the best value.
The highly specialized and uniquely demanding nature of hospital facility
design and construction seems particularly well-suited to the design-build
method of procurement, which has emerged in the healthcare industry as the
preferred method in terms of both quality and cost efficiency. 

As a generic political subdivision of Texas, Angleton-Danbury Hospital
District is presently restricted from using anything but strict
competitive bidding and cannot allow the project designer to be the
builder, no matter how high-tech or specialized the project may be.
Non-governmental hospitals have no such restrictions upon their own
improvement projects.  Angleton-Danbury Hospital District would greatly
benefit from the flexible alternatives provided by Subchapter H of the
Local Government Code. 

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 the enabling legislation of Angleton-Danbury Hospital
District by adding Section 12C relating to public works projects.  This
section provides that the district has all the powers and duties under
Subchapter H of the Local Government Code relating to facility
construction. 

SECTION 2 states that this Act is effective immediately with a vote of
two-thirds of all members of each house or September 1, 2003. 


EFFECTIVE DATE
Immediately if this Act receives a vote of two-thirds of all members of
each house or September 1, 2003.