BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 731

                                                                                                                                 By: Jackson, Jim

County Affairs

                                                                                                    Committee Report (Unammended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, counties are required to fill out paper forms in triplicate when a department makes a purchase request.  Many counties would like to eliminate the paper form requisition process and create a paperless computer tracked electronic requisition system.  An electronic system would be easier to audit.  It will also be faster and more cost efficient.

H.B. 731 authorizes the commissioners court of a county to establish an electronic requisition system.

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 Section 113.901, Local Government Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) as follows:

            (b) Adds that this subsection does not apply to a county that operates an electronic            requisition system.

            (d) Authorizes the commissioners court of a county to establish an electronic requisition    system, and requires the county auditor, subject to the approval of the commissioners                court, to establish procedures for administering an electronic requisition system.

SECTION 2.  Effective Date

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.