AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

To strengthen the state's effort to provide the best possible services at the lowest possible price, the Health and Safety Code requires a board of emergency services commissioners to solicit competitive bids on any expenditure over $50,000.  There are a handful of exceptions to this provision, including for the procurement of contracts for ambulance services. Interested parties, however, maintain that opening up ambulance services to the competitive bidding process would ensure that there is openness and transparency in providing the selection of service providers while also providing quality services at the best possible price.

 

S.B. 1377 strikes contracts for ambulance services from the list of items exempt from the competitive bidding process in the Health and Safety Code. By requiring competitive bids for ambulance services, consumers will see significant savings when they must use an ambulance to receive emergency care, along with greater transparency into the contracting process.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1377 amends current law relating to competitive bidding requirements for emergency services districts.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 775.084(i), Health and Safety Code, to delete contracts for ambulance services from the list of services that are exempt from competitive bidding requirements.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.