| 1 | 1 | | 88R2298 RDS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: J. Johnson of Harris H.B. No. 243 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the historically underutilized business task force. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 2161, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 2161.067 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 2161.067. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS TASK |
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| 12 | 12 | | FORCE. (a) In this section, "task force" means the historically |
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| 13 | 13 | | underutilized business task force established under this section. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The historically underutilized business task force is |
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| 15 | 15 | | established to: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) review each state agency's outreach efforts, |
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| 17 | 17 | | policies, and bidding processes; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) evaluate the amount of access to contracting |
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| 19 | 19 | | opportunities available to historically underutilized businesses |
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| 20 | 20 | | compared to other businesses; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) share effective practices among different state |
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| 22 | 22 | | agencies; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) recommend to the legislature and state agencies |
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| 24 | 24 | | strategies to: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) promote full and good faith compliance with |
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| 26 | 26 | | this chapter in state contracting; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) increase participation of historically |
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| 28 | 28 | | underutilized businesses in state contracting; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) address other topics related to historically |
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| 30 | 30 | | underutilized businesses; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) perform other duties as assigned by the |
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| 32 | 32 | | comptroller and presiding officer. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) The task force shall consist of: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) one historically underutilized business |
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| 35 | 35 | | coordinator from each state agency with a biennial budget that |
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| 36 | 36 | | exceeds $10 million, as described in Section 2161.062(e); |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) one member appointed by the governor; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
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| 39 | 39 | | and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (4) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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| 41 | 41 | | representatives. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) Members of the task force that are appointed by the |
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| 43 | 43 | | governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house serve |
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| 44 | 44 | | staggered terms of two years, with one or two members' terms |
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| 45 | 45 | | expiring December 1 of each year. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) The member appointed by the governor shall serve as the |
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| 47 | 47 | | initial presiding officer of the task force for a two-year term. |
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| 48 | 48 | | The task force shall elect succeeding presiding officers from among |
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| 49 | 49 | | its membership at the first meeting following the expiration of the |
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| 50 | 50 | | presiding officer's term. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (f) The task force shall meet quarterly at the call of the |
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| 52 | 52 | | presiding officer. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (g) Not later than December 1 of each year, the task force |
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| 54 | 54 | | shall prepare and submit to the governor, the legislature, and each |
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| 55 | 55 | | state agency a written report summarizing the task force's findings |
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| 56 | 56 | | and recommendations, including legislative recommendations. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2023, the governor, |
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| 58 | 58 | | lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives |
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| 59 | 59 | | shall each appoint one member to the historically underutilized |
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| 60 | 60 | | business task force as required under Section 2161.067, Government |
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| 61 | 61 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2023, the presiding |
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| 63 | 63 | | officer of the historically underutilized business task force |
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| 64 | 64 | | created under Section 2161.067, Government Code, as added by this |
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| 65 | 65 | | Act, shall call the first meeting of the task force. |
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| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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