SRC-MSY S.B. 912 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 912
78R7383 MXM-FBy: Ratliff
State Affairs
3/27/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Under current state law, state agencies and public universities dispose of
their obsolete and surplus computer equipment by transferring the
equipment to either a school district or the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice.  As proposed, S.B. 912 allows such transfers to be made to a
nonprofit computer bank to be designated by the school district, where the
computers would be reconditioned and placed in the homes of economically
disadvantaged students and their families. 

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.  Reenacts Section 2175.001(1), Government Code, and amends it
by adding Subdivision (H) to redefine "assistance organization" to include
a nonprofit computer bank that solicits, stores, refurbishes, and
redistributes used computer equipment to public school students and their
families. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 2175.128, Government Code, by adding
Subdivisions (a)(1)-(3) and (b)(1)-(3) and Subsection (c), as follows: 

(a) Makes a nonsubstantive change.

(1)  Created from existing text.  Makes a nonsubstantive change.

(2)  Requires an institution or agency to make a certain transfer of
equipment to an assistance organization specified by the school district
under certain circumstances.  Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

(3)  Created from existing text.  Deletes language prohibiting the state
agency from collecting a fee or other reimbursement from the district, the
school, or the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the surplus or
salvage data processing equipment.  Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

(b)  Makes a nonsubstantive change.

(1)  Created from existing text.  Makes a nonsubstantive change.

(2)  Requires an institution or agency to make a certain transfer of
equipment to an assistance organization specified by the school district
under certain circumstances.  Makes a nonsubstantive change. 

(3)  Created from existing text.  Makes a nonsubstantive change.

(c)  Created from existing text.  Prohibits the state eleemosynary
institution or institution or agency of higher education, or other state
agency from collecting a fee or other  reimbursement from the district,
school, assistance organization, or Texas Department of Criminal Justice
for the surplus for certain equipment transferred under this section. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Sections 2175.304(b) and (c), Government Code, to make
conforming changes. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Chapter 2175E, Government Code, by adding Section
2175.306, as follows: 

Sec.  2175.306.  EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN AGENCIES.  Provides that this
chapter does not apply to the disposition of surplus computer equipment by
certain state agencies, and provides an exception.  Requires those
agencies to give preference to transferring the property to a public
school, school district, or assistance organization specified by the
school district. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.