Texas Government Code 2254.021 – Definitions
Terms Used In Texas Government Code 2254.021
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
In this subchapter:
(1) “Consulting service” means the service of studying or advising a state agency under a contract that does not involve the traditional relationship of employer and employee.
(2) “Major consulting services contract” means a consulting services contract for which it is reasonably foreseeable that the value of the contract will exceed $15,000, or $25,000 for an institution of higher education other than a public junior college.
(3) “Consultant” means a person that provides or proposes to provide a consulting service. The term includes a political subdivision but does not include the federal government, a state agency, or a state governmental entity.
(4) “Political subdivision” means:
(A) a county;
(B) an incorporated or unincorporated municipality;
(C) a public junior college;
(D) a public school district or other educational or rehabilitative district;
(E) a metropolitan or regional transit authority;
(F) an airport authority;
(G) a river authority or compact;
(H) a regional planning commission, a council of governments, or a similar regional planning agency created under Chapter 391, Local Government Code;
(I) the Edwards Aquifer Authority or a district governed by Title 4, Water Code;
(J) a soil and water conservation district;
(K) a county or municipal improvement district;
(L) a county road or road utility district;
(M) a county housing authority;
(N) an emergency services or communications district;
(O) a fire prevention district;
(P) a public health or hospital authority or district;
(Q) a mosquito control district;
(R) a special waste district;
(S) a rural rail transportation district; or
(T) any other local government or special district of this state.
(5) “State agency” has the meaning assigned by § 2151.002.
(6) “State governmental entity” means a state department, commission, board, office, institution, facility, or other agency the jurisdiction of which is not limited to a geographical portion of the state. The term includes a university system and an institution of higher education, other than a public junior college, as defined by § 61.003, Education Code. The term does not include a political subdivision.