H.B. No. 2777
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the contracting authority of the Parks and Wildlife
  Department.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 11.0171, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
  amended by adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
         (c)  The executive director may negotiate with and award a
  contract for goods or services to any qualified vendor if the
  executive director:
               (1)  solicits bids for the goods or services through a
  competitive process in compliance with all applicable laws,
  including Chapters 2155, 2254, and 2269, Government Code, that
  fails to result in competitive responsive bids;
               (2)  makes a written determination that resoliciting
  bids for the goods or services would:
                     (A)  be unlikely to result in responsive bids;
                     (B)  increase costs to the department; or
                     (C)  delay the ability of the department to
  address a critical need; and
               (3)  determines that the vendor meets the requirements
  of the original solicitation.
         (d)  To the extent practicable, the executive director may
  combine the procurement of multiple goods or services into a single
  competitively bid contract to enhance the contract's attraction for
  potential vendors.
         SECTION 2.  Section 11.0171(c), Parks and Wildlife Code, as
  added by this Act, applies only to a contract for which bids are
  first solicited on or after the effective date of this Act.  A
  contract for which bids are first solicited before the effective
  date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately
  before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2777 was passed by the House on April
  20, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 4, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2777 on May 15, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 2,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2777 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 12, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor