BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2857

By: Tepper

Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Public Property Finance Act allows certain governmental entities to enter into a contract for the use, purchase, acquisition, or financing of personal property. The act's definition of "personal property" is not sufficiently broad, since it does not include consultation or assistance. H.B. 2857 seeks to allow governmental entities to include consultation and assistance costs as part of a contract for personal property by including those terms in the definition of personal property under the Public Property Finance Act.

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

H.B. 2857 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the governing body of a governmental agency to contract under the Public Property Finance Act for the purchase, other acquisition, or the financing of the following:

· the materials, consultation, assistance, and labor incident to the use of personal property; and

· the consultation and assistance incident to the installation of personal property.

The bill revises the act's definition of "personal property" to specify that the term includes, as applicable, such materials, consultation, assistance, and labor.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.