Sec. 531.053. LEASES AND SUBLEASES OF CERTAIN OFFICE SPACE. (a) A health and human services agency, with the approval of the commission, or the Texas Workforce Commission or any other state agency that administers employment services programs may sublease office space to a private service entity or lease office space from a private service entity that provides publicly funded health, human, or workforce services to enable agency eligibility and enrollment personnel to work with the entity if:

(1) client access to services would be enhanced; and

(2) the colocation of offices would improve the efficiency of the administration and delivery of services.

(b) Subchapters D and E, Chapter 2165, do not apply to a state agency that leases office space to a private service entity or subleases office space to a private service entity under this section.

(c) Subchapter B, Chapter 2167, does not apply to a state agency that leases office space from a private service entity or subleases office space from a private service entity under this section.

(d) A state agency is delegated the authority to enter into a lease or sublease under this section and may negotiate the terms of the lease or sublease.

(e) To the extent authorized by federal law, a state agency may share business resources with a private service entity that enters into a lease or sublease agreement with the agency under this section.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg. ch. 1013, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Renumbered from Sec. 531.051 by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 21.001(46), eff. Sept. 1, 2001.