Texas Government Code 2161.123 – Strategic Planning
(a) Each state agency, including the comptroller, that is required to have a strategic plan under Chapter 2056 shall include in its strategic plan a written plan for increasing the agency’s use of historically underutilized businesses in purchasing and public works contracting. The governing board of each university system or institution of higher education not included in a university system, other than a public junior college, shall prepare a written plan for increasing the use of historically underutilized businesses in purchasing and public works contracting by the system or institution.
(b) The plan must include:
(1) a policy or mission statement relating to increasing the use of historically underutilized businesses by the state agency;
(2) goals to be met by the agency in carrying out the policy or mission; and
(3) specific programs to be conducted by the agency to meet the goals stated in the plan, including a specific program to encourage contractors to use historically underutilized businesses as partners and subcontractors.
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 2161.123
- Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) On request, the comptroller shall provide technical assistance to a state agency that is preparing its plan.
(d) The comptroller and the state auditor shall cooperate to develop procedures providing for random periodic monitoring of state agency compliance with this section. The state auditor shall report to the comptroller a state agency that is not complying with this section. In determining whether a state agency is making a good faith effort to comply, the state auditor shall consider whether the agency:
(1) has adopted rules under § 2161.003;
(2) has used the comptroller’s directory under § 2161.064 and other resources to identify historically underutilized businesses that are able and available to contract with the agency;
(3) made good faith, timely efforts to contact identified historically underutilized businesses regarding contracting opportunities;
(4) conducted its procurement program in accordance with the good faith effort methodology set out in comptroller rules; and
(5) established goals for contracting with historically underutilized businesses in each procurement category based on:
(A) scheduled fiscal year expenditures; and
(B) the availability of historically underutilized businesses in each category as determined by rules adopted under § 2161.002.
(e) In conducting an audit of an agency’s compliance with this section or an agency’s making of a good faith effort to implement the plan adopted under this section, the state auditor shall consider the success or failure of the agency to contract with historically underutilized businesses in accordance with the agency’s goals described by Subsection (d)(5).
(f) If the state auditor reports to the comptroller that a state agency is not complying with this section, the comptroller shall assist the agency in complying.