State Codes and Statutes

Back To Homepage

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Texas > Government-code > Title-10-general-government > Chapter-2176-mail

GOVERNMENT CODE

TITLE 10. GENERAL GOVERNMENT

SUBTITLE D. STATE PURCHASING AND GENERAL SERVICES

CHAPTER 2176. MAIL

SUBCHAPTER A. EVALUATION AND PLANNING OF MAIL OPERATIONS

Sec. 2176.001. MAIL OPERATIONS OFFICER. A state agency in

Travis County shall designate a person to manage mail for the

agency's offices and units.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

For expiration of this section, see Section 2151.0041.

Sec. 2176.0011. TRANSFER OF DUTIES; REFERENCE. (a) The powers

and duties of the commission under this chapter are transferred

to the comptroller.

(b) In this chapter, a reference to the commission means the

comptroller.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch.

937, Sec. 1.39, eff. September 1, 2007.

Sec. 2176.002. STATE AGENCY EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF MAIL

OPERATIONS. To improve state agency management of mail and to

reduce the state's mail costs, a state agency in the executive

branch of state government shall:

(1) evaluate its mail operations to identify and eliminate

practices resulting in excessive mail costs; and

(2) develop and implement plans and procedures for making

necessary improvements in mail operations.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.003. COMMISSION EVALUATION OF STATE AGENCY MAIL

OPERATIONS. The commission shall:

(1) evaluate the mail operations of state agencies located in

Travis County and make recommendations to identify and eliminate

practices resulting in excessive mail costs; and

(2) establish minimum objectives and responsibilities for

managing mail for the agencies.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.004. COMMISSION PROCEDURES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF MAIL

OPERATIONS. The commission shall:

(1) in conjunction with the United States Postal Service,

establish procedures to improve the measurement of state agency

mail costs, using postage meters or stamps as appropriate;

(2) establish procedures to determine the advantages to state

agencies of presorting mail;

(3) establish procedures to determine the lowest cost class of

mail necessary to effectively accomplish individual state agency

functions;

(4) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using alternatives to the

United States Postal Service for delivering state agency mail;

(5) train state agency personnel regarding cost-effective

mailing practices;

(6) set standards for receipt, delivery, collection, and

dispatch of mail; and

(7) publish and disseminate standards, guides, and instructions

for managing mail and establish and implement procedures for

monitoring compliance with the standards, guides, and

instructions.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.005. STATE AGENCY REPORTS ON MAIL OPERATIONS. (a) A

state agency in Travis County shall periodically send to the

governor and the legislative budget office a report of its

progress in achieving the objectives for and the revisions of

mail operations established under Section 2176.004, including an

analysis of savings projected from the resulting improvements in

managing mail.

(b) When two or more state agencies by interagency contract are

providing common services for managing mail, the agencies may

designate a single agency to report on behalf of all agencies

participating under the contract.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.006. MAILING LISTS. A state agency in Travis County

shall review and consolidate mailing lists used by the agency to

distribute publications and other materials issued by the agency.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

SUBCHAPTER B. INTERAGENCY MAIL

Sec. 2176.051. INTERAGENCY MAIL SERVICE. (a) The commission

shall operate a messenger service for delivering unstamped

written communications and packages between the following

entities located in Travis County:

(1) state agencies;

(2) the legislature; and

(3) legislative agencies.

(b) All entities described by Subsection (a) shall use the

service.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.052. USE OF UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE; ALTERNATE

DELIVERY METHODS. An entity subject to Section 2176.051 may use

a delivery method other than that provided under Section 2176.051

for delivering interagency mail to another entity subject to

Section 2176.051 but may not use the United States Postal Service

for the delivery unless required to do so under state or federal

law.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.053. DELIVERY OF STATE WARRANTS. State warrants may

be delivered in a manner agreed to by the comptroller and the

affected agency.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch.

937, Sec. 1.40, eff. September 1, 2007.

SUBCHAPTER C. OUTGOING FIRST-CLASS MAIL IN TRAVIS COUNTY

Sec. 2176.101. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter

applies only to outgoing first-class mail practices of a state

agency located in Travis County.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.102. COMMISSION EVALUATION. The commission shall

evaluate the outgoing first-class mail practices of state

agencies located in Travis County, including the lists, systems,

and formats used to create mail.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.103. DISCOUNTED POSTAL RATES. The commission shall

achieve the maximum available discount on postal rates whenever

acceptable levels of timeliness, security, and quality of service

can be maintained using the discounted rate.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.104. REQUIREMENT TO CONSULT WITH COMMISSION. A state

agency to which this subchapter applies shall consult the

commission before the agency may:

(1) purchase, upgrade, or sell mail processing equipment;

(2) contract with a private entity for mail processing; or

(3) take actions that significantly affect the agency's

first-class mail practices.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.105. GUIDELINES FOR MEASURING AND ANALYZING

FIRST-CLASS MAIL PRACTICES. (a) The commission shall adopt and

distribute to each state agency to which this subchapter applies

guidelines by which outgoing first-class mail practices may be

measured and analyzed. The guidelines must require using the

services of the United States Postal Service to the extent

possible.

(b) The commission shall review and update the guidelines at

least once every two years, beginning two years after the date on

which the guidelines are adopted.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.106. TRAINING. (a) Not later than the 90th day after

the date on which the initial guidelines under Section 2176.105

are distributed, and at least annually beginning one year after

the date of distribution, the commission shall provide training

to state agency personnel who handle first-class mail.

(b) The commission may use to the extent possible free training

provided by the United States Postal Service.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.107. PREREQUISITE TO UPGRADING OR REPLACING MAIL

EQUIPMENT; COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS. (a) If the commission

determines that upgrading existing mail production or processing

equipment or purchasing new mail production or processing

equipment is required to improve outgoing first-class mail

practices of the commission or another state agency located in

Travis County, the commission shall prepare a cost-benefit

analysis demonstrating that the upgrade or purchase is more

cost-effective than contracting with a private entity to provide

the equipment or mail service.

(b) The commission shall approve the most cost-effective method.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.109. FEES FOR COMMISSION SERVICES. (a) The

commission by interagency contract shall charge and collect fees

from each state agency to which this subchapter applies for the

commission's services under this subchapter.

(b) The total amount charged a state agency under this section

may not exceed the amount of the agency's appropriated funds for

outgoing first-class mail, as determined by the Legislative

Budget Board, minus the agency's fixed costs for these services.

the amount of a fee charged a state agency under this section

that is greater than the amount of the commission's actual

expenses for performing the services for the agency.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.110. RULES. The comptroller shall adopt rules for

state agencies to implement this chapter. Before adopting a rule

under this section, the comptroller must conduct a public hearing

regarding the proposed rule regardless of whether the

requirements of Section 2001.029(b) are met.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch.

937, Sec. 1.41, eff. September 1, 2007.

SUBCHAPTER D. PROCESSING OF MAIL

Sec. 2176.151. TIMELY PROCESSING OF MAIL. Mail shall:

(1) be processed for delivery as quickly as necessary under

existing circumstances; and

(2) not be unduly delayed only to achieve a lower postal rate.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

Sec. 2176.152. PROCESSING UNITED STATES MAIL IN CAPITOL COMPLEX.

United States mail may be delivered to and from the post office

located in the capitol complex on agreement between the

commission and the affected agency.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1995.

SUBCHAPTER E. SPECIAL MAIL SERVICES

Sec. 2176.201. USE OF CERTAIN MAIL SERVICES. Notwithstanding

another law that requires the use of certain mail services, a

state agency may use any form of mail service available from the

United States Postal Service to lower postal costs whenever

acceptable levels of accountability, timeliness, security, and

quality of service can be maintained.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1145, Sec. 1, eff. July 1,

1997.

Sec. 2176.202. CHANGE OF ADDRESS SERVICE. Notwithstanding

another law regarding change of address updates, a state agency

may use any change of address update service approved by the

United States Postal Service for the purpose of receiving a

postal discount rate.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1145, Sec. 1, eff. June 19,

1997.

Sec. 2176.203. NOTIFICATION OF SERVICE OPTIONS. The commission

shall, as part of the guidelines developed under Section

2176.105, provide information to state agencies about special

mail services offered by the United States Postal Service. The

commission shall assist a state agency in determining which

service to use, considering the state agency's needs for

accountability, timeliness, security, and quality of service.

Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1145, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,

1997.