bill making TxDOT post engineering contract details

The text as introduced · 531 words

89R14965 RDR-F

By: Phelan
H.B. No. 5603

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a requirement for the Texas Department of

Transportation to disclose certain service contract information

and provide notice regarding certain changes to a contract.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 223.0042, Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 223.0042. CONTRACT INFORMATION ON INTERNET WEBSITE.

(a) In this section, "engineering-related services" has the

meaning assigned by Section 223.041(a).

(b) The department shall make available on the department's

Internet website a listing describing each contract awarded by the

commission for a highway construction project. The listing must

include for each project:

(1) the funding program source contract awardee,

including subcontractors and historically underutilized business

and disadvantaged business enterprise participants and percentage

of contract; and

(2) each department transportation district in which

the contract will be performed.

(c) Not later than the 30th day after the date the

commission awards an engineering-related services contract, the

department shall make information related to the contract available

on the department's Internet website, including:

(1) the contract number;

(2) the primary firm involved in the contract;

(3) the total contract amount, in dollars;

(4) the date of the contract's execution;

(5) the termination date of the contract;

(6) the type of contract;

(7) whether the contract is a specific-deliverable or

indefinite-deliverable contract;

(8) a general description of the scope of services;

(9) work authorizations, supplemental work

authorizations, and supplemental agreements issued to date;

(10) the total amount paid, in dollars, under the

contract to date;

(11) a list of the geographic areas covered by the

contract; and

(12) any notifications or notices relating to the

contract issued under Section 223.041.

(d) The department shall update the department's Internet

website with the information required under Subsection (c) at least

weekly.

SECTION 2. Section 223.041, Transportation Code, is amended

by adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

(c) If a work authorization has been issued by the

department for an engineering-related services contract, the

department shall notify the contractor in writing if the department

determines that the schedule or table of deliverables identified in

a contract or work authorization must be slowed, stopped, paused,

or otherwise altered for any reason. This notification must be

given to the contractor at least 90 days before the effective date

of any change to the contract's schedule or table of deliverables.

(d) If the department notifies a contractor for an

engineering-related services contract of an alteration to the

schedule or table of deliverables under Subsection (c), the

district, area-office, division, or other office within the

department that issued the notice shall report the notice in

writing to the executive director, the deputy executive director of

the department, and the chief engineer of the department not later

than three days after the date the notice was issued. Not later

than 10 days after the date the notice was issued, the department

shall post the notice on the department's Internet website in the

same location the contract information described by Section

223.0042(c) is posted for the corresponding engineering-related

services contract.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.