BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3013

By: Slawson

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 87th Texas Legislature enacted legislation intended to make the procurement process easier for state agencies. However, language in the legislation had the unintended consequence of making the procurement process more burdensome for the disaster recovery division of the General Land Office (GLO). In the event of a disaster where the GLO is expected to respond quickly to solicit vendors to provide services, a requirement to post certain procurement notices far in advance greatly increases the time it takes for the GLO to get contractors in place to respond to the disaster. H.B. 3013 seeks to ensure that the GLO's recovery efforts can be undertaken as efficiently as possible by exempting contracts for services necessary to respond to a natural disaster from the procurement notice requirements applicable to contracts that exceed $20 million.

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. 3013 amends the Government Code to exempt a contract for services necessary to respond to a natural disaster from certain procurement notice requirements applicable to a procurement in an amount that exceeds $20 million. The bill applies only to a contract for which a state agency first advertises or otherwise solicits bids, proposals, offers, or qualifications on or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.