BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                           H.B. 1915

                                                                                                                                      By: Giddings

                                                                                                                                    County Affairs

                                                                                                           Committee Report (Amended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Currently, a county does not have statutory authorization to sell or lease advertising space to another entity.

 

H.B. 1915 gives a county the authority to sell or lease advertising space to another entity.

 

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 Chapter 263, Local Government Code, by adding Subchapter F which authorizes the commissioners court of a county to adopt a procedure by which the county may lease to another entity advertising space located in or on a building or part of a building owned by the county; on a vehicle owned by the county; or on an official county Internet website; or sell advertising space located on correspondence distributed by the county through the United States Postal Service

 

The procedure must include a requirement that the county publish, before a sale or lease is made, a notice of its intent to sell or lease the advertising space.  Such notice must be published on the county’s official website continuously for the 14 days immediately before the date the award of the sale or lease is made; include a description of the advertising space (including its location and a description of the part of any real or personal property that the advertising space occupies); and include a description of the procedure by which bids or proposals for the sale or lease may be submitted.

 

Authorizes the commissioners court to reject any and all bids or proposals submitted.

 

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.

 

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

 

Committee Amendment No. 1 adds a provision that the notice of a county's intent to sell or lease advertising space, must be published at lease one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the county between the 30th day and the 14th day before the date the award of the sale or lease is made; and on the county's official website continuously for the 14 days immediately before the date the award of sale or lease is made.