SRC-VRA S.B. 736 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 736 78R2070 AKH-FBy: Lindsay Intergovernmental Relations 3/12/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, cities, counties, and school districts must advertise notification of requests for bids on purchase contracts once a week for two weeks in newspapers. These entities are spending money on newspaper advertisements, when the notification could otherwise be done without charge by posting the same information on the Internet. As proposed, S.B. 736 would enable these entities to post their bid notices on the Internet. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 44B, Education Code, by adding Section 44.044, as follows: Sec. 44.044. ELECTRONIC NOTICE. (a) Authorizes a school district, instead of the notice required under Sections 44.031(g) and 44.033(b), to publish the required notice for at least the two weeks before the deadline for receiving bids, proposals, or responses to a request for certain qualifications related to their purchasing and contracting procedures. (b) Requires a school district that publishes notice under this section to have a link on its Internet website that is clearly identified as the link to the public notice for the bids, proposals, and responses. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 271Z, Local Government Code, by adding Section 271.907, as follows: Sec. 271.907. ELECTRONIC NOTICE. (a) Authorizes a county, instead of the notice required by Sections 262.025(a), 263.007(b), 263.153, 271.055, and 272.001, to publish the required notice on the Internet for at least 14 days before the date the county takes the action for which the notice is required. Requires the notice to be accessible at the county's universal resource locator address of "http//www.co.(name of county).tx.us/notices/index.htm." (b) Authorizes a municipality, instead of the notice required by Sections 252.041, 271.055, and 272.001, to publish the required notice on its Internet website for at least 14 days before the municipality takes the action for which the notice is required. Requires a municipality that publishes a notice under this section to have a link on its Internet website that is clearly identified as the link to the public notice for the bids, proposals, and responses. SECTION 3. Amends Section 44.031(g), Education Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 4. Amends Section 44.033(b), Education Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 5. Amends Section 252.041(a), Local Government Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 6. Amends Section 262.025(a), Local Government Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 7. Amends Section 263.007, Local Government Code, by adding Subsection (b-1) to authorize a county to publish notice under this section as provided by Section 271.907. SECTION 8. Amends Section 263.153(a), Local Government Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 9. Amends Section 272.001(a), Local Government Code, to make a conforming change. SECTION 10. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.