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.