JIM MATTOX Attorney General SupremeCourt Bullding P. 0. Box 1254S Austin. TX 78711.254a 51214752501 Telex 9101874-1367 TekCOo*r 512/47w2SS
714 Jackson. Suite 700 Oalhe., TX. 75202-4508 2t4il42.SQ44
4S24 Alberta Ave.. Sub 160 El Paso. TX. 799052793 915/533-3184
1COt Texas. Suite 700 Hou+ton. TX. 77w2.3111 7131223.5886
W5 Bmadway. Suits 312 Lubbock. TX. 79401-3479 Soa747%38
4MB N. Tenth. Suite B YcAllm. TX. ?swl-les5 512aS2.4S47
200 M*in Plaza. Suite 400 San Antonio, TX. 7S205-2797 512!225-4191
An Equal Opporlunityl Atllrmatlvo Action Employer 

# The Attorney (General of Texas February21. 1986

Hr. GibsonDuTtrroCL Chairperson Texts Committee00. hrchases of opinionNo. m-444 Rt: Applicability



### to 

### counties. Productsand **Strriccs** of Blind **cities.** hospitaldistricts, and and Ssverely

Disabled

Persona school districtsof chapter 122 314 Eighland

Mall Bwlsvard of the Eumtn Resources Code, Suite 258 which relatesto the procurement Austin.Texas 787!i:! of the products or strvicts of disabledindividuals Dear Mr. DuTtrroil: You ask about zht apparentconflict between a statutethat allows political subdlvisioas to purchase products or strvlcts produced by disabledpersonswithout **engaging** iu competitive bidding and statutes thtt require certainpolitical subdivisions to engage in competitive bidding. Section 122.Olli

of the Eumau ResourcesCode provides: A prodilct

msnufacturtd

for salt to a political subdivision

of this state or an offics or dtpartmcnt thereof shall be manufactured or produced according ‘to

specifications

daveloped

by the pur- &tsar. Qolitical subdlvlslon of this statemay purchase products or rervicts for its use from private I~t~sintssts through **Its** authoriasd purchasing p~xtdurts, but may substitute equivalent products & 

## ~trviccs produced by blind or other severely zlsabltd

persons under the provisionsof this chap;tr. Nothing in this chaptershall be coastrutd%o require a nonprofit agency for blind or other &vtrtly disabled persons to engage in compttit~~ bidding. (Emphasis added). Tou ask whether counties. cities, school districts, and hospital districts

may purcha,se

productsor strvicts from **the** disabled without **engaging in**  **compttirLvt** biddingpursuant to section122.014even under circumstances %n rbich other statutes require them to engage in competitive

bidding. In AttorneyGeneera Opinion JR-385 (1985). we considered

whether a countywas requir,cd to complywith the competitive biddingprocedure
p. 2018Fir. Gibson BuTerrol - Page 2 (Jt4-444)

set out In the County Purchasing **Act,** article 2368a.V.T.C.S.. before it could purchase goods or services from the disabled pursuant to section 122.014 of **the** Ruman Resources Code. Rtcaust specific statute6 prevail over general statutes on the same subject, we concluded

that the specific

exception

**from** competitive

bidding set out in section 122.014 of the Buman Resources Code prevailed over the general requirementsof **the** County PurchasingAct when the county purchased

**goods** or servicesf:rom the disabled. The same reasoning apl)Mts to the other political subdivisions you ask about. **General** statutes require**cities,** hospitals, and school districts to engage in competitive bidding before they make certain purchases. V.T.C.S.art. 238a. r2 (cities); V.T.C.S.art. 44940, 134 (hospitaldistricts);Educ. Code 121.901 (school districts). Those general statutes art inapplicable. however+ to a situation in which one of those subdivisions purchases goods or services pursuant to section 122.014of the Buman Resources Code. I.
SUMMARY General statute:8

that requirecounties, cities. hospitaldistrfctr;, and school districts to engage in competitive

bidding in order to make **certain** purchases

do **not** c.pply

to purchases

such political subdivisions

make Ipursuant

to section 122.014 of the &man Rtsourccs Code. Very truly your 

# J h

A JIM MATTOX **Attorney** Generalof Texas JACR HIGRTOWRR First Assistant

AttorneyGttLral WARYKELLER ExtcutP?t Assistant Attorney

General ROBERT GRAY SpecialAssistant

Attorney

General RICR GILPIN Chairman,

opinion conmittet Prepared

by Sarah Wotlk **AssIstant Attorney**  General

p. 2019