HBA-SEP H.B. 1401 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1401 By: Mowery State Affairs 2/21/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, the General Services Commission (commission) is not required to help state agencies determine if they are leasing unnecessary warehouse space. House Bill 1401 requires the commission to evaluate specific leased warehouses in the Austin area and to work with the agency operating the warehouse to reduce the usage of inefficient warehouse space. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1401 amends the Government Code to require the General Services Commission (commission) to evaluate the operation of the first four state-leased warehouses in Austin for which the leases expire after October 1, 2001. The commission is required to work with the state agency that operates the warehouse to reduce inefficient warehouse space use and to adopt practices that can reduce the agency's need for warehouse space. The bill requires the commission and the agency to: _identify excess inventory; _determine the most appropriate ways to eliminate excess inventory; and _determine the extent to which the agency uses certain management principles in operating the warehouse. The bill further requires the commission to assist the agency in developing a plan to reduce the need for warehouse space by reducing inventory, selling surplus inventory, and efficiently managing warehouse operations. The bill requires each agency to include the plan as part of its strategic plan of operation for calendar year 2002. The provisions of this bill expire September 1, 2003. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.