S.B. No. 1289
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the purchase of iron and steel products made in the
  United States for certain governmental entity projects.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 2252, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER F.  CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION PROJECTS
         Sec. 2252.201.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Governmental entity" means this state or a board,
  commission, department, office, or other agency in the executive
  branch of state government. The term does not include a political
  subdivision.
               (2)  "Manufacturing process" means the application of a
  process to alter the form or function of materials or elements of a
  product in a manner that adds value and transforms the materials or
  elements into a new finished product that is functionally different
  from a finished product produced merely from assembling the
  materials or elements into a product.
               (3)  "Political subdivision" includes a county,
  municipality, municipal utility district, water control and
  improvement district, special utility district, and other types of
  water district.
               (4)  "Produced in the United States" means, with
  respect to iron and steel products, a product for which all
  manufacturing processes, from initial melting through application
  of coatings, occur in the United States, other than metallurgical
  processes to refine steel additives.
               (5)  "Project" means a contract between a governmental
  entity and another person, including a political subdivision, to:
                     (A)  construct, remodel, or alter a building, a
  structure, or infrastructure;
                     (B)  supply a material for a project described by
  Paragraph (A); or
                     (C)  finance, refinance, or provide money from
  funds administered by a governmental entity for a project described
  by Paragraph (A).
         Sec. 2252.202.  UNIFORM PURCHASING CONDITION; RULES.
  (a)  Except as provided by Section 2252.203, the uniform general
  conditions for a project in which iron or steel products will be
  used must require that the bid documents provided to all bidders and
  the contract include a requirement that any iron or steel product
  produced through a manufacturing process and used in the project be
  produced in the United States.
         (b)  A governmental entity subject to the requirements for a
  project described by Subsection (a) shall adopt rules to promote
  compliance with this section.
         Sec. 2252.2025.  REPORT. (a)  Not later than December 1,
  2018, the Texas Water Development Board shall electronically submit
  to the state auditor a report on all contracts for construction of a
  project that received financial assistance under Chapter 15, 16, or
  17, Water Code, during the state fiscal year ending August 31, 2017.
  The report must include:
               (1)  the impacts on a political subdivision that has
  obtained or applied for financial assistance from the board under
  Chapter 15, 16, or 17, Water Code; and
               (2)  for each project that has obtained financial
  assistance as described by this subsection:
                     (A)  the country of origin of the iron and steel
  products used in the project, in accordance with 19 U.S.C. Section
  1304;
                     (B)  the cost and quantity of all iron and steel
  products received from each country of origin for the project; and
                     (C)  any related bond information, including the
  credit rating of general obligation bonds or revenue bonds issued
  by the board to finance or refinance projects included in the state
  water plan and the potential impact to that credit rating as a
  result of the bond issuance by the board.
         (b)  The state auditor shall prepare a summary on the report
  submitted under Subsection (a) and electronically submit the
  summary to the legislature not later than January 1, 2019.
         (c)  This section expires September 1, 2019.
         Sec. 2252.203.  EXEMPTIONS.  (a)  Section 2252.202 does not
  apply to a project for which the governing body of the governmental
  entity responsible for the project determines that:
               (1)  iron or steel products produced in the United
  States are not:
                     (A)  produced in sufficient quantities;
                     (B)  reasonably available; or
                     (C)  of a satisfactory quality;
               (2)  use of iron or steel products produced in the
  United States will increase the total cost of the project by more
  than 20 percent; or
               (3)  complying with that section is inconsistent with
  the public interest.
         (b)  Electrical components, equipment, systems, and
  appurtenances, including supports, covers, shielding, and other
  appurtenances related to an electrical system, necessary for
  operation or concealment are not considered to be iron or steel
  products and are exempt from the requirements of Section 2252.202.
  An electrical system includes all equipment, facilities, and assets
  owned by an electric utility, as that term is defined in Section
  31.002, Utilities Code.
         (c)  Section 2252.202 does not apply to a contract subject to
  Section 223.045, Transportation Code, or 23 C.F.R. Section 635.410.
         Sec. 2252.204.  INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.  This subchapter
  shall be applied in a manner consistent with this state's
  obligations under any international agreement.
         Sec. 2252.205.  CONFLICT OF LAW. To the extent of any
  conflict or inconsistency, this subchapter prevails over any other
  state law relating to the use of iron and steel products in projects
  directly funded by a governmental entity or financed by funds
  administered by a governmental entity. 
         SECTION 2.  Section 223.045, Transportation Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 223.045.  IRON AND STEEL PREFERENCE PROVISIONS IN
  IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTS. A contract awarded by the department for
  the improvement of the state highway system without federal aid
  must contain the same preference provisions for iron and steel and
  iron and steel products that are required under federal law for an
  improvement made with federal aid.
         SECTION 3.  Section 17.183(a), Water Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The governing body of each political subdivision
  receiving financial assistance from the board shall require in all
  contracts for the construction of a project:
               (1)  that each bidder furnish a bid guarantee
  equivalent to five percent of the bid price;
               (2)  that each contractor awarded a construction
  contract furnish performance and payment bonds:
                     (A)  the performance bond shall include without
  limitation guarantees that work done under the contract will be
  completed and performed according to approved plans and
  specifications and in accordance with sound construction
  principles and practices; and
                     (B)  the performance and payment bonds shall be in
  a penal sum of not less than 100 percent of the contract price and
  remain in effect for one year beyond the date of approval by the
  engineer of the political subdivision;
               (3)  that payment be made in partial payments as the
  work progresses;
               (4)  that each partial payment shall not exceed 95
  percent of the amount due at the time of the payment as shown by the
  engineer of the project, but, if the project is substantially
  complete, a partial release of the five percent retainage may be
  made by the political subdivision with approval of the executive
  administrator;
               (5)  that payment of the retainage remaining due upon
  completion of the contract shall be made only after:
                     (A)  approval by the engineer for the political
  subdivision as required under the bond proceedings;
                     (B)  approval by the governing body of the
  political subdivision by a resolution or other formal action; and
                     (C)  certification by the executive administrator
  in accordance with the rules of the board that the work to be done
  under the contract has been completed and performed in a
  satisfactory manner and in accordance with approved plans and
  specifications;
               (6)  that no valid approval may be granted unless the
  work done under the contract has been completed and performed in a
  satisfactory manner according to approved plans and
  specifications;
               (7)  that, if a political subdivision receiving
  financial assistance under Subchapter K of this chapter, labor from
  inside the political subdivision be used to the extent possible;
  and
               (8)  that the contract include a requirement that iron
  and steel products [and manufactured goods] used in the project be
  produced in the United States, unless:
                     (A)  such products [or goods] are not:
                           (i)  available in sufficient quantities;
                           (ii)  readily available; or
                           (iii)  of a satisfactory quality; or
                     (B)  the use of such products [or goods] will
  increase the total cost of the project by more than 20 percent.
         SECTION 4.  Section 17.183(c)(4), Water Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
               (4)  "Produced in the United States" means,[:
                     [(A)]  in the case of iron and steel products,
  products for which all manufacturing processes, from initial
  melting through application of coatings, take place in the United
  States, except metallurgical processes that involve the refinement
  of steel additives[; and
                     [(B)     in the case of a manufactured good, a good
  for which:
                           [(i)     all of the manufacturing process that
  produced the manufactured good takes place in the United States;
  and
                           [(ii)     more than 60 percent of the
  components of the manufactured good, by cost, originate in the
  United States].
         SECTION 5.  Sections 17.183(c)(1) and (2) and (d), Water
  Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 6.  (a)  Subchapter F, Chapter 2252, Government
  Code, as added by this Act, applies only to bid documents submitted
  or contracts entered into on or after the effective date of this
  Act.
         (b)  Subchapter F, Chapter 2252, Government Code, as added by
  this Act, does not apply to a project as described by Section 15.432
  or 15.472, Water Code, that the Texas Water Development Board has
  formally approved for financial assistance.  In this subsection,
  the term "formally approved" means any project that is the subject
  of a resolution approving an application for financial assistance
  adopted by the Texas Water Development Board before May 1, 2019, for
  any portion of the financing of the project.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1289 passed the Senate on
  May 3, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 23, Nays 7, one present
  not voting; May 17, 2017, Senate refused to concur in House
  amendments and requested appointment of Conference Committee;
  May 19, 2017, House granted request of the Senate; May 27, 2017,
  Senate adopted Conference Committee Report by the following
  vote:  Yeas 23, Nays 7, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1289 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 12, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 109,
  Nays 33, one present not voting; May 19, 2017, House granted
  request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;
  May 27, 2017, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the
  following vote:  Yeas 102, Nays 33, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
             Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor