By: Carona  S.B. No. 621
         (In the Senate - Filed February 13, 2007; February 27, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and
  Homeland Security; March 19, 2007, reported adversely, with
  favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; March 19, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 621 By:  Carona
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to payments by the Texas Department of Transportation to
  an unsuccessful private entity that submits a proposal for a
  comprehensive development agreement.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (m), Section 223.203, Transportation
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (m)  The department may [shall] pay an unsuccessful private
  entity that submits a responsive proposal in response to a request
  for detailed proposals under Subsection (f) a stipulated amount in
  exchange for the work product contained in that proposal. A [The]
  stipulated amount must be stated in the request for proposals and
  may not exceed the value of any work product contained in the
  proposal that can, as determined by the department, be used by the
  department in the performance of its functions. The use by the
  department of any design element contained in an unsuccessful
  proposal is at the sole risk and discretion of the department and
  does not confer liability on the recipient of the stipulated amount
  under this section. After payment of the stipulated amount:
               (1)  the department owns with the unsuccessful proposer
  jointly the rights to, and may make use of any work product
  contained in, the proposal, including the technologies,
  techniques, methods, processes, ideas, and information contained
  in the project design; and
               (2)  the use by the unsuccessful proposer of any
  portion of the work product contained in the proposal is at the sole
  risk of the unsuccessful proposer and does not confer liability on
  the department.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
  * * * * *