HBA-DMH H.B. 1375 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1375 By: Farrar Transportation 3/29/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The number of highway accidents is on the rise. Commonly, when an accident occurs assistance from a tow truck or a recovery service is requested to either repair or remove a disabled vehicle. Currently, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) selects a towing company to perform these services based solely on competitive pricing. Therefore, TxDOT is not allowed to consider the company's reputation, equipment, or experience in making a selection. House Bill 1375 authorizes TxDOT to contract for the removal of personal property from the right-of-way or roadway of the highway system without using a competitive purchasing process. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1375 amends the Transportation Code to authorize the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to contract with one or more private businesses for the removal of personal property from the right-of-way or roadway of the state highway system. The bill requires TxDOT to base its decision on a specified evaluation process and provides that TxDOT is not required to follow a competitive purchasing process in selecting such businesses. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.