Procurement Disclosure Requirements

At a glance

What: Adding disclosure questions to bidder forms under a resolution supporting evaluation of strategies to protect all San Antonians, including a bidder's business relationships with federal detention operations.
Where it stands: Briefed August 31, 2026; no action. Staff will return with proposed contract procedure questions, possibly at a B Session.
Next: Staff proposal on required questions and whether to include subcontractors.

Elliott presented. Under state procurement law the City must award to the lowest responsible bidder and responsiveness is limited to meeting specifications and price, so disclosures cannot decide responsiveness for statutory bids; non-statutory bidders who fail to disclose could be deemed non-responsive. Non-award would mean re-solicitation. All renewals and amendments would need updated disclosures, and Council could extend the requirement to subcontractors; the City Attorney concurred.
Viagran questioned voluntary disclosures and said Council could decline a low bidder when concerning information emerges; she gave janitorial, security and food services as areas where local participation could reduce reliance on vendors that also serve federal detention operations. Castillo asked about deeming non-disclosing bidders non-responsive. Galvan wanted vendors that did or did not sign publicly shown. Meza Gonzalez asked about subcontractors doing business with federal immigration enforcement; Elliott said they would be treated like prime contractors.

Briefing only.