81R21673 MTB-D By: Smith of Tarrant H.B. No. 2899 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2899: By: Smith of Harris C.S.H.B. No. 2899 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the participation in state travel service contracts by certain local governmental entities. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 2171.055, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (i) and (j) to read as follows: (i) An officer or employee of a transportation or transit authority, department, district, or system established under Subtitle K, Title 6, Transportation Code, who is engaged in official business of the authority, department, district, or system may participate in the comptroller's contracts for travel services. The comptroller may charge a participating authority, department, district, or system a fee not to exceed the costs incurred by the comptroller in providing services under this subsection. The comptroller shall periodically review fees and shall adjust them as needed to ensure recovery of costs incurred in providing services to authorities, departments, districts, and systems under this subsection. (j) An officer or employee of a hospital district created under general or special law who is engaged in official hospital district business may participate in the comptroller's contract for travel services for the purpose of obtaining reduced airline fares and reduced travel agent fees. The comptroller may charge a participating hospital district a fee not to exceed the costs incurred by the comptroller in providing services under this subsection. The comptroller shall periodically review fees and shall adjust them as needed to ensure recovery of costs incurred in providing services to hospital districts under this subsection. The comptroller shall deposit the fees collected under this subsection to the credit of the hospital district airline fares account. The hospital district airline fares account is an account in the general revenue fund that may be appropriated only for the purposes of this chapter. The comptroller shall adopt rules and make or amend contracts as necessary to administer this subsection. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.