Restrictions on Purchasing and Contracting with Certain Vendors (C-48)
Original Implementation: January 25, 2000
Last Revision: July 21, 2009
DEFINITIONS
Warrant Hold – status identifying vendors who are delinquent in payments to the state of Texas and prohibiting the state comptroller from issuing payment to the vendor. Determination of this status is required up to seven days before “contracting” with any vendor and may prevent the university from being able to “contract” with the vendor. Warrant hold information is maintained in the State Comptroller’s TINS (Texas Identification Number System). The university’s financial system will terminate and prevent the use of any vendor that is on warrant hold.
EPLS – Federal government’s Excluded Parties List System identifying Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) with whom the United States President’s Executive Order 13224 prohibits any government entity from doing business. EPLS verification is required for all contracts, except p-card transactions.
Contract - As defined by the state comptroller in Notice to State Agencies #FM00-35, dated 12/2/99, a "contract" is a commitment of agency funds for the purchase of goods or services. This definition includes P-cards, vouchers, purchase orders and contracts.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINATION
It will be the responsibility of the department placing the order to insure that the selected vendor is NOT on warrant hold or the EPLS up to 7 days before the “contract” date, but no later than the “contract” start date for the following types of transactions. It is the responsibility of the SFA controller’s accounts payable office to ensure that the selected vendor is NOT on warrant hold prior to processing a payment.
Procurement – purchase orders
Library – library book purchases
Cardholders - p-card purchases exceeding $500
Accounts Payable – all payments
DETERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
State Comptroller Warrant Hold Status Determination
Vendor warrant hold status may be searched by name at the following Web site: https://cpafmprd.cpa.state.tx.us/tpis/search.html. Read the search instructions carefully and if needed, contact the procurement office for assistance.
SFA may make a payment to an entity on hold using local funds if the hold source agency or agencies consent to the payment. Such payment can only be made after securing documentation of the consent.
Federal Government Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) Determination
The verification process involves searching for the vendor by vendor name at the federal government’s EPLS web-site created specifically for this determination. The internet address is http://www.epls.gov/epls/search.do.
Type the last name of the individual or the first word (except ‘the’) of a company name; scroll to the bottom of the screen and click ‘search’. Any names found will be returned in alphabetical order.
If the search finds a match, more research is required to rule out the possibility of a “false hit.”
- Is the name an exact match?
- Is the name very close?
- Is the vendor you are searching for located in the same general area as the name returned in the search?
If the match appears to be valid, contact the director of procurement.
Cross Reference: Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 404.046, 069; Tex. Gov’t Code § 2103.003; Tex. Gov’t Code § 2252.903; Exec. Order No. 13,224, 66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (Sept. 23, 2001)
Responsible for Implementation: Vice President for Finance and Administration
Contact for Revision: Director of Procurement and Property Services/HUB Coordinator
Forms: None