Amends existing law to provide that state institutions of higher education must procure property from an open contract except under certain circumstances.

This legislation, recommended by the State Procurement Laws Interim Committee, is intended to clarify language that was enacted last year by the State Procurement Act, HB 538. That bill enacted I.C. § 67-9225, which required state institutions of higher education to procure property from state open contracts unless the property could be procured at "equal or less expense to the institution" from a vendor who was not party to the open contract. The term "expense" caused some confusion due to the manner in which that term is typically used by procurement professionals. This legislation is intended to clear up any confusion by revising I.C. § 67-9225 and including the term "cost" in lieu of "expense."