Sec. 51.783. SELECTING CONTRACTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES THROUGH COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS. (a) In selecting a contractor for construction, rehabilitation, alteration, or repair services for a facility through competitive sealed proposals, a board shall follow the procedures prescribed by this section.

(b) The board shall select or designate an engineer or architect to prepare construction documents for the project. The selected or designated engineer or architect has full responsibility for complying with Chapter 1001 or 1051, Occupations Code, as applicable. If the engineer or architect is not a full-time employee of the institution, the board shall select the engineer or architect on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications as provided by Section 2254.004, Government Code.

(c) The board shall provide or contract for, independently of the contractor, the inspection services, the testing of construction materials engineering, and the verification testing services necessary for acceptance of the facility by the institution. The board shall select those services for which it contracts in accordance with Section 2254.004, Government Code, and shall identify them in the request for proposals.

(d) The board shall prepare a request for competitive sealed proposals that includes construction documents, selection criteria, estimated budget, project scope, schedule, and other information that contractors may require to respond to the request. The board shall state in the request for proposals the selection criteria that will be used in selecting the successful offeror.

(e) The board shall publish notice of the request for proposals in a manner prescribed by the board.

(f) The board shall receive, publicly open, and read aloud the names of the offerors and, if any are required to be stated, all prices stated in each proposal. Within 45 days after the date of opening the proposals the board shall evaluate and rank each proposal submitted in relation to the published selection criteria.

(g) The board shall select the offeror that offers the best value for the institution based on the published selection criteria and on its ranking evaluation. The board shall first attempt to negotiate with the selected offeror a contract. The board and its engineer or architect may discuss with the selected offeror options for a scope or time modification and any price change associated with the modification. If the board is unable to reach a contract with the selected offeror, the board shall, formally and in writing, end negotiations with that offeror and proceed to the next offeror in the order of the selection ranking until a contract is reached or all proposals are rejected.

(h) In determining best value for the institution, the board is not restricted to considering price alone but may consider any other factor stated in the selection criteria.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1179, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1225, Sec. 16, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, Sec. 14A.767, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.