BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 262

By: Zaffirini

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that there are certain deficiencies in the state's cooperative contracts program, including a lack of centralized oversight of vendor performance. S.B. 262 seeks to remedy this issue by requiring the Department of Information Resources to monitor and verify purchase reports submitted by vendors under the program.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

S.B. 262 amends the Government Code to require the Department of Information Resources (DIR), in cooperation with state agencies, with respect to the purchase of commodity items included in the list of commodity items available for purchase through DIR that have a lower price than the prices for commodity items otherwise available to state agencies purchasing automated information systems, to periodically assess the risk to Texas in the purchase of those commodity items and, based on that risk assessment and as DIR considers necessary to ensure accuracy, monitor and verify the purchase transaction reports of the monthly sales of those commodity items submitted by vendors in accordance with DIR requirements. The bill requires a state agency or local government contracting for the purchase of an automated information system to comply with the requirements applicable to a state agency contracting to purchase a commodity item in relation to that DIR list. The bill removes language establishing that a purchase authorized by statutory provisions relating to the use of a multiple award contract schedule by governmental entities in state purchasing satisfies any applicable requirements of statutory provisions relating to the purchase of automated information systems.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.