BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1965

By: Harper-Brown

Government Efficiency & Reform

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties have asserted that there is a need to further define the duties of the quality assurance and contract advisory teams created under the Information Resources Management Act. These parties note that each team is created with the goal of improving contract management practices, but contend that there is no guidance regarding how that task is to be accomplished. The parties assert that both of these review teams should be explicitly charged with improving value-based decision making, as well as monitoring agencies for how well they serve their constituent needs. H.B. 1965 seeks to more specifically define the duties of these teams.

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

H.B. 1965 amends the Government Code to require the quality assurance team created under the Information Resources Management Act to develop and recommend policies and procedures to improve state agency contracting practices, to develop and recommend procedures to improve value-based decision making in state agency contracting practices, and to monitor state agencies to determine whether the agencies are meeting their clients' needs.

H.B. 1965 expands the duties of the Contract Advisory Team created to assist state agencies in improving contract management practices to include developing and recommending policies and procedures to improve state agency contract management practices, developing and recommending procedures to improve value-based decision making in state agency contracting practices, and monitoring state agencies to determine whether the agencies are meeting their clients' needs.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.