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.