Items are selected for specification development by or through one or more of the following methods.
  (1) Required by statute.
    (A) School buses. Pursuant to Education Code, §34.002, the Texas Department of Public Safety, with advice from the Texas Education Agency, establishes safety standards for school buses used to transport students. Pursuant to Education Code, §34.001, specifications developed by the Texas Department of Public Safety in compliance with Transportation Code, §547.7015, shall be referenced in solicitations and made a part of any contract awarded by the comptroller as result of a requisition received from a school district pursuant to Local Government Code, §271.083. For the convenience of qualified purchasing entities the specifications shall be posted on the division's website.
    (B) Prison-made products and raw materials. Pursuant to Government Code, Subtitle G, Subchapter B, §497.027, an article or product produced under Subchapter B must meet specifications established by the comptroller that are in effect when the article or product is produced.
  (2) Requests from using agencies. If a using agency finds that it is having difficulty in obtaining a certain item to meet a particular requirement, then the agency can communicate this need to the division.
  (3) Requests from purchasers. If a state agency purchaser is having difficulty in securing bids on a particular item in the absence of adequate uniform standards and specifications, the purchaser may request the division to investigate the feasibility of developing a uniform standard and specification to cover the purchase of this item.

Source Note: The provisions of this §20.182 adopted to be effective January 24, 2017, 42 TexReg 232