By: Van de Putte  S.B. No. 1958
         (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 2009; March 24, 2009, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Government Organization;
  April 7, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 6,
  Nays 0; April 7, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to including certain veterans service organizations as
  small businesses for the purpose of state contracting.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 2155.505, Government
  Code, is amended by amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision
  (3) to read as follows:
               (2)  "Small business" means a small business concern as
  defined by regulations of the United States Small Business
  Administration in 13 C.F.R. Section 121.201 or a veterans service
  agency.
               (3)  "Veterans service agency" means a community-based
  organization that:
                     (A)  is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a),
  Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described in
  Section 501(c)(3) of that code; and
                     (B)  has as its principal purpose to provide
  housing, substance abuse treatment, case management services, and
  employment training to low-income veterans, disabled veterans, and
  homeless veterans and their families.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 2155.505, Government
  Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to a contract for the
  procurement of goods and services for which the solicitation of
  bids or proposals, request for proposals, or similar required
  notification as to the goods or services is published on or after
  September 1, 2009. A contract for the procurement of goods and
  services for which the solicitation of bids or proposals, request
  for proposals, or similar required notification as to the goods or
  services is published before September 1, 2009, is governed by the
  law in effect at the time the solicitation, request, or
  notification is published, and that law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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