An issuer must give bidders notice of the bid opening time, date, and place, and the notice must meet specified content and publication rules.
Sec. 271.055. NOTICE TO BIDDERS. (a) An issuer must give notice of the time, date, and place at which the issuer will publicly open the bids on a contract for which competitive bidding is required by this subchapter and read the bids aloud. The notice must be given in accordance with Subsection (b) or in accordance with: (1) Chapter 252, if the issuer is a municipality; (2) the municipal charter of the issuer, if the issuer is a home-rule municipality; or (3) the County Purchasing Act (Subchapter C, Chapter 262), if the issuer is a county. (b) If an issuer gives notice under this subsection, the notice must: (1) be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper, as defined by Subchapter C, Chapter 2051, Government Code, that is of general circulation in the area of the issuer, with the date of the first publication to be before the 14th day before the date set for the public opening of the bids and the reading of the bids aloud; and (2) state that plans and specifications for the work to be done or specifications for the machinery, supplies, equipment, or materials to be purchased are on file with a designated official of the issuer and may be examined without charge. (c) If the contract is to be let on a unit price basis, in addition to the other information required to be in the notice, the notice must specify, based on the best available information, the approximate quantities of the items needed by the issuer that are to be bid on. (d) An issuer may not authorize certificates unless the notice also states that: (1) the successful bidder must accept the certificates in payment for all or part of the contract price; or (2) the governing body has made provisions for the contractor to sell and assign the certificates and that each bidder is required, at the time of the receipt of the bids, to elect whether the bidder will: (A) accept the certificates in payment of all or part of the contract price; or (B) assign the certificates in accordance with the arrangements made by the governing body. (e) In a county with a population of 3.3 million or more, the county and any district or authority created under Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution of which the governing body is the commissioners court may require that a minimum of 25 percent of the work be performed by the bidder and, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, may establish financial criteria for the surety companies that provide payment and performance bonds. Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1019, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 28, 1989; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 749, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 757, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 5.95(3), eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 669, Sec. 83, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.