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


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1619
By: Jones, Jesse
County Affairs
3/19/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



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.  C.S.H.B. 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 the 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

C.S.H.B 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

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

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1619 amends the original by removing the provision that authorized
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
purchasing agent to use credit cards to pay for county purchases.  The
substitute removes the provision that the commissioners court is authorized
to adopt rules relating to the use of credit cards to pay for county
purchases, and authorizes a county purchasing agent to adopt such rules.