HBA-CMT H.B. 1619 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1619
By: Jones, Jesse
County Affairs
3/11/2001
Introduced



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 permits county
governments to establish a credit card purchasing program. 

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 authorize the
commissioners court of a county to contract with one or more credit card
issuers for the county purchasing agent or a person authorized by the
county purchasing agent to use credit cards to pay for county purchases.
The commissioners court is authorized to adopt rules relating to the use of
credit cards to pay for county purchases that will require an expenditure
of less than $25,000.  A person who is authorized by the county purchasing
agent to use a credit card while making a county purchase is considered an
assistant of the county purchasing agent. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.