SRC-TAG S.B. 1359 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1359
781023 CAS-DBy: Lindsay
Education
3/27/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, school district are required to advertise requests for proposal
(RFPs) and other bidding instruments worth more than  $25,000 annually in
a local newspaper once a week for at least two consecutive weeks.
However, meeting this legal requirement is costing school districts money
that can otherwise be used in the classroom.  As proposed, S.B. 1359
allows school districts to post bids notices on an Internet site instead
of posting the bid in the newspaper.  This bill permits school districts
to save money by reducing the printing and postage cost associated with
circulation of RFPs and bids in newspapers, while increasing the number of
potential bidders. 

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 Section 44.031(g), Education Code, as follows:
 
(g)  Requires the  notice of the time by which, rather than when,  and
place where the bids or proposals, or the responses to a request for
qualifications, will be received and opened to be posted on the electronic
procurement marketplace established under Chapter 2177B (Electronic
Procurement Marketplace) Government Code, for a period of at least 14 days
before the deadline for receiving bids, proposals, or responses to a
request for qualifications or published in the county in which the
district's central administrative office is located, once a week for at
least two weeks before the deadline for receiving bids, proposals, or
responses to a request for qualifications.  Requires  the advertising  to
be published in a newspaper in the county nearest the county seat of the
county in which the district's central administrative office is located,
if the notice is to be provided by publication and there is no a newspaper
in the county in which the district's central administrative office is
located, rather than in that county.  Provides that in a two-step
procurement process, the time by which and place where the second-step
bids, proposals, or responses will be received are not required to be
posted or published separately. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 2177.051(e), Government Code, to require the
Texas Building and Procurement Commission to permit a school district, in
complying with Section 44.031(g), Education Code, to post information on
the electronic procurement marketplace.  

SECTION 3.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.