By: Lucio S.B. No. 1720
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the threshold contract amount at which a county is
  required to engage in a competitive purchasing procedure for
  certain purchases.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 252.312(b) and (c), Transportation
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  If the county road engineer so recommends and the
  commissioners court considers it to be in the best interest of the
  county, a purchase in an amount of $50,000 [$25,000] or less may be
  made through negotiation by the commissioners court or the court's
  authorized representative on requisition to be approved by the
  commissioners court or the county auditor without advertising for
  competitive bids.
         (c)  A purchase may not be divided or reduced to avoid the
  competitive bidding requirement on a purchase that would otherwise
  cost more than $50,000 [$25,000].
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a purchase commenced on or after September 1, 2019. A purchase
  for which competitive bids are advertised before September 1, 2019,
  is governed by the law in effect on the date the bids were
  advertised, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.