HBA-CMT H.B. 1619 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1619 By: Jones, Jesse County Affairs 7/31/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The use of credit cards for small purchases is widely used in industry and government as a means of increasing efficiency and cost savings by decentralizing small purchase activity. House Bill 1619 provides that a person authorized by the county purchasing agent to use a county purchasing card while making a county purchase is considered an assistant to the purchasing agent if that person complies with the rules and procedures prescribed by the purchasing agent for the use of purchasing cards. 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 1619 amends the Local Government Code to provide that a person who is authorized by the county purchasing agent to use a county purchasing card while making a county purchase is considered an assistant of the county purchasing agent to the extent that the person complies with the rules and procedures prescribed for the use of county purchasing cards as adopted by the county purchasing agent. The bill authorizes a county purchasing agent to adopt rules and procedures for persons to use the county purchasing cards to pay for county purchases under the direction and supervision of the county purchasing agent, notwithstanding procedures for purchases that are paid for by warrant drawn by the county auditor or other law. EFFECTIVE DATE May 9, 2001.