The department must notify potential service providers, review submitted proposals, award the contract or grant to the best-qualified applicant, and allocate funds by formula; the executive commissioner must adopt implementing rules.
Sec. 81.016. CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES. (a) Before the department contracts with or provides grant funding to an agency, organization, or individual to provide direct services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, the department shall make reasonable efforts to notify all potential service providers of the availability and purpose of the contract or grant. (b) The notice shall include a request that all interested service providers submit within a specified period a contract or grant proposal for the department's consideration. The notice must also clearly state the criteria that the department will consider in determining which applicant will be awarded the contract or grant. (c) The department shall review all proposals submitted under this section and shall award the contract or grant to the applicant that the department determines is best able to provide the needed services. The department may not award contracts or grants to a former employee of the department's Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services within two years after the person's employment with that office ceased. (d) To ensure an equitable distribution of contract or grant funds, the department shall develop a formula, based on population and region, to allocate those funds among the agencies, organizations, or individuals that are awarded the contracts or grants. (e) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules to implement this section. Added by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 619, Sec. 17, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 343, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 835, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 118, Sec. 8, eff. May 23, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 4.330, eff. April 2, 2015.