Idaho Bills
4 bills · 2017 Regular Session
Repeals and adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding solicitations, proposed contract awards and contract awards made in violation of the State Procurement Act.
32 – 3
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding multiple awards.
This legislation, recommended by the State Procurement Laws Interim Committee, revises an existing statute that allows the Administrator of the Division of Purchasing to award contracts to more than one vendor in a single solicitation under certain circumstances. The purpose of this legislation is to clarify such circumstances and to specify that multiple contract awards can be made on a regional basis. This would enable the Administrator to grant contracts to vendors in, for example, northern Idaho, western Idaho and eastern Idaho, respectively, to serve the difference regions when such a division would make sense. On-site services, such as janitorial services, might be procured more cost-effectively on a regional rather than statewide basis. This legislation also allows the Administrator to make a multiple award if the multiple award would "serve the best interest of the state." This provision enables the Administrator to make a multiple award in circumstances other than those listed when there would be a specific advantage to the state in doing so.
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."
34 – 0
Amends existing law to provide that the administrator of the Division of Purchasing may authorize agencies to participate in cooperative purchasing agreements and to utilize contracts of other agencies.
This legislation, recommended by the State Procurement Laws Interim Committee, enables individual state agencies to: (1) participate in cooperative purchasing agreements with other public agencies; and (2) participate in contracts made by other Idaho public agencies (such as political subdivisions). Allowing agencies to participate in cooperative purchasing and to share contracts would reduce administrative costs to the state by requiring fewer solicitations. As cooperative purchasing agreements contain a higher volume of goods and services, state and other Idaho public agencies would likely be able to procure property for reduced costs as well. To ensure the integrity of the procurement process, this legislation requires that any shared contract must have been made after competitive bidding that is consistent with Idaho law.
34 – 0