Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB535 Compare Versions

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1	1	81R4070 MCK-D
2	2	By: Anchia, Farabee H.B. No. 535
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the provision of a preference in state purchasing
8	8	decisions for vendors that provide health benefits to employees.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 2155, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 2155.454 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 2155.454. PREFERENCE FOR VENDORS THAT PROVIDE HEALTH
13	13	BENEFITS COVERAGE. The comptroller and all state agencies
14	14	procuring goods or services shall give preference to goods or
15	15	services of a vendor that demonstrates that the vendor provides
16	16	health benefits coverage that is at least equivalent to a standard
17	17	health benefit plan offered under Chapter 1507, Insurance Code, to
18	18	each of the vendor's full-time employees and the dependents of the
19	19	employees if:
20	20	(1) the vendor pays 100 percent of the health
21	21	insurance premiums for each full-time employee who participates in
22	22	the insurance program and at least 75 percent of the health
23	23	insurance premiums for each dependent of a full-time employee who
24	24	elects to participate in dependent coverage under the insurance
25	25	program;
26	26	(2) the goods or services meet state specifications
27	27	regarding quantity and quality; and
28	28	(3) the cost of the goods or services does not exceed
29	29	the ultimate cost to the comptroller or state agency that would
30	30	result if the comptroller or state agency procured similar goods or
31	31	services from a vendor that does not demonstrate that the vendor
32	32	provides health benefits coverage described by this section to the
33	33	vendor's employees and the employees' dependents.
34	34	SECTION 2. Section 2155.454, Government Code, as added by
35	35	this Act, applies only to a contract for the procurement of goods
36	36	and services for which the solicitation of bids or proposals,
37	37	request for proposals, or similar required notification as to the
38	38	goods or services is published on or after September 1, 2009. A
39	39	contract for the procurement of goods and services for which the
40	40	solicitation of bids or proposals, request for proposals, or
41	41	similar required notification as to the goods or services is
42	42	published before September 1, 2009, is governed by the law in effect
43	43	at the time the solicitation, request, or notification is
44	44	published, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
45	45	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.