AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) estimates that 34 percent of the state's office space statewide is leased property. TFC also estimates that another three percent of its inventory is non-office leased space. This large amount of leased real estate is costing the state millions of dollars a year that could be saved by moving these various departments occupying leased space as well as other state departments to state-owned facilities located across the state of Texas.
The purpose of this bill is to stop unnecessary spending and utilize state-owned property throughout the state to house government agencies that currently reside in rented or leased space. This expansion of government can thereby boost economically struggling cities and further facilitate progress of government.
H.B. 265 amends current law relating to the lease of space by or for a state agency.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 2167.002, Government Code, as follows:
Sec. 2167.002. PREREQUISITES FOR LEASING SPACE. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text. Makes no further changes.
(b) Requires the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), in making a determination under this section that state-owned space is not available to a state agency, to consider all reasonably available state-owned space in this state, regardless of whether utilizing state-owned space would require the agency to move all or part of the agency's operations to a different geographic location in this state.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 2167.005(a), Government Code, to authorize TFC to delegate to a state agency, including an institution of higher education, the authority to enter into lease contracts for space if TFC determines that state-owned space is not available as provided by Section 2167.002.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2011.