88R14537 LRM-F
By: Harris of Williamson H.B. No. 4937
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to reporting on state contracts awarded to new businesses.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 2155, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 2155.092 to read as follows:
Sec. 2155.092. REPORTING CONTRACTS WITH NEW BUSINESS. (a)
In this section, "new business" means a business that has been in
operation for less than five years and has its principal place of
business in this state.
(b) Not later than September 1 of each year, the comptroller
shall file a report with the legislature that identifies:
(1) the number of state contracts awarded to new
businesses during the previous year;
(2) the dollar value of all state contracts awarded to
new businesses during the previous year;
(3) the number of state contracts awarded to new
businesses that qualify as a historically underutilized business,
as defined by Section 2161.001, during the previous year;
(4) the geographic area of the state, including the
city and county, where each new business awarded a state contract in
the previous year is located;
(5) the percentage of all state contracts awarded to
new businesses during the previous year; and
(6) the percentage of the total dollar value of all
state contracts awarded to new businesses during the previous year.
(c) As part of the report required by Subsection (b) that
must be filed before September 1, 2024, the comptroller, in
conjunction with the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office
within the office of the governor, shall make recommendations to
improve access by new businesses to state contracting, including
new businesses owned by statistically underrepresented demographic
groups and in statistically underrepresented geographic areas of
the state. This subsection expires January 1, 2025.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.