PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3005 PRINTER'S NO. 3185
No. 2359 Session of 1978
INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. IRVIS AND MEBUS, APRIL 11, 1978
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 22, 1978
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of January 22, 1968 (P.L.27, No.7), entitled 2 "An act promoting the welfare of the people of the 3 Commonwealth; creating The Pennsylvania Transportation 4 Assistance Authority as a body corporate and politic with 5 power to acquire, construct, improve, equip and lease 6 transportation assistance projects, and to fix the rentals, 7 fees and charges for the use thereof; authorizing and 8 regulating the issuance of bonds by the authority and 9 providing for the payment of such bonds, and the rights of 10 the holders thereof; authorizing the authority to enter into 11 agreements, including agreements for the joint ownership of 12 transportation assistance projects, with the government of 13 the United States, any Federal agency, any political 14 subdivision of the Commonwealth, any other authority 15 organized by any thereof, any transportation company, or with 16 any combination of the foregoing; granting to the authority 17 the right of eminent domain; authorizing the Department of 18 Commerce and the Department of Community Affairs to lease 19 transportation assistance projects from the authority and to 20 cooperate with local bodies; authorizing gifts to the 21 authority by political subdivisions and corporations; 22 empowering the authority to sell and convey transportation 23 assistance projects and providing that no debt of the 24 Commonwealth shall be incurred in the exercise of any of the 25 powers granted by this act," further providing for contracts, 26 procurement and sale of property, and competition in award of 27 contracts. 28 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 29 hereby enacts as follows: 30 Section 1. Section 12, act of January 22, 1968 (P.L.27,
1 No.7), known as "The Pennsylvania Transportation Assistance 2 Authority Act of 1967," amended July 31, 1968 (P.L.934, No.283), 3 is amended to read: 4 Section 12. Contracts, Procurement and Sale of Property, 5 Competition in Award of Contracts.--(a) The authority shall 6 have power and authority to enter into contracts and to make 7 joint contracts of purchase with any local transportation 8 organization in any manner complying with the law applicable to 9 such local transportation organization. The authority shall also 10 have power and authority to make contracts for the improvement 11 of any rights-of-way, roadbeds or rolling stock, or 12 electrification systems, or other transportation systems, or 13 parts thereof, constituting a project without advertisement for 14 competitive bids, where such work is to be done at cost by the 15 personnel and with the facilities of the local transportation 16 organization or of the transportation company on whose system 17 such property is to be used. 18 (b) Except in the purchase of projects from a local 19 transportation organization, or in the purchase of unique 20 articles, or articles which, for any other reason, cannot be 21 obtained in the open market, and except as herein specifically 22 provided, competitive bids shall be secured before any purchase 23 or sale, by contract or otherwise, is made or before any 24 contract is awarded for construction, alterations, supplies, 25 equipment, repairs or maintenance or for rendering any services 26 to the authority other than professional services; and the 27 purchase shall be made from or the contract shall be awarded to 28 the lowest responsible bidder; or a sale to the highest 29 responsible bidder. No purchase of any unique article or other 30 articles which cannot be obtained in the open market shall be 19780H2359B3185 - 2 -
1 made without express approval of the board where the amount 2 involved is in excess of [one thousand five hundred dollars 3 ($1,500)] five thousand dollars ($5,000). 4 (c) Except as herein specifically provided otherwise, all 5 purchases and sales in excess of [one thousand five hundred 6 dollars ($1,500)] five thousand dollars ($5,000) shall be 7 awarded after advertising in a newspaper of general circulation 8 in the area where the property is to be used not less than two 9 weeks prior to the bid opening. Bids shall be publicly opened 10 and read aloud at a date, time and place designated in the 11 invitation to bid. In all cases of purchases or sales in excess 12 of [one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500)] five thousand 13 dollars ($5,000) authorized hereunder to be made without 14 competitive bidding except purchases from or sales to a local 15 transportation organization or contracts with a transportation 16 company pursuant to subsection (a) of this section 12, 17 invitations to bid shall be sent not less than one week prior to 18 the bid opening to at least three potential bidders who are 19 qualified technically and financially to submit bids, or in lieu 20 thereof a memorandum shall be kept on file showing that less 21 than three potential bidders so qualified exist in the market 22 area within which it is practicable to obtain bids. 23 (d) Purchases or sales under [one thousand five hundred 24 dollars ($1,500)] five thousand dollars ($5,000) may be 25 negotiated with or without competitive bidding under sound 26 procurement procedures as promulgated and established by the 27 board. 28 (e) Competitive bidding requirements may be waived if it is 29 determined in such other manner as the board may, by regulation, 30 provide, that an emergency directly and immediately affecting 19780H2359B3185 - 3 -
1 customer service, or public health, safety or welfare requires 2 immediate delivery of supplies, materials, or equipment: 3 Provided, however, That a record of circumstances explaining the 4 emergency shall be submitted to the board at its next regular 5 meeting and thereafter kept on file. 6 (f) Contracts for the sale or lease of property owned by the 7 authority shall be awarded after competitive bidding as shown in 8 subsection (c) of this section 12, except where a contract is 9 entered into with the Commonwealth or any political subdivision 10 or agency or instrumentality thereof, local transportation 11 organization or Federal agency. 12 (g) Requirements shall not be split into parts for the 13 purpose of avoiding the provisions of this section 12. 14 (h) The authority shall have the right to reject any or all 15 bids or parts of any or all bids, whenever, in the opinion of 16 the board, such rejection is necessary for the protection of the 17 interest of the authority. In every such case, a record shall be 18 made, setting forth the reason for such rejection which record 19 shall thereafter be kept on file. 20 (i) The board shall adopt rules and regulations to 21 effectuate the provisions of this section 12. 22 (j) The authority shall have the power to accept the 23 assignment from any local transportation organization of all or 24 any interest in any lawfully made contract for the procurement 25 and purchase of any asset deemed necessary or desirable by the 26 authority in connection with any project. 27 (K) EVERY CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, <-- 28 REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT OR MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS SHALL CONTAIN 29 A PROVISION THAT ANY STEEL PRODUCTS USED OR SUPPLIED IN THE 30 PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT OR ANY SUBCONTRACTS THEREUNDER SHALL 19780H2359B3185 - 4 -
1 BE FROM STEEL MADE IN THE UNITED STATES. 2 SECTION 2. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN 3 A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1978 (NO.3), KNOWN 4 AS THE "STEEL PRODUCTS PROCUREMENT ACT." 5 Section 2. 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. <-- D4L46RW/19780H2359B3185 - 5 -