Posted: | June 19, 2013 11:07 AM |
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From: | Representative Margo L. Davidson |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Amending the Procurement Code (Title 62) to include the Judiciary and the General Assembly - Former HB 129 |
In the near future, I will be reintroducing legislation that will amend Title 62 (Procurement) to include the General Assembly and the Judiciary as Commonwealth agencies subject to the Procurement Code, as well as eliminating sole source contracting. This legislation is identical to House Bill 129 of the 2011-2012 Legislative Session. It is my sincere hope you will join me in this important effort. Millions of taxpayer dollars are spent every year on services rendered and goods and supplies provided to the Commonwealth by third party contractors. At present time, the Commonwealth’s Procurement Code does not require the General Assembly or the Judiciary to follow any competitive bidding or other rules currently required of executive branch agencies. The goal of the Procurement Code is to insure transparency in the contracting process or the awarding of the most cost-effective contracts, yet executive branch agencies are currently allowed to circumvent the competitive bidding requirements of Title 62 by utilizing sole source procurement. Sole source contracting shuts out many small businesses and diverse players in the marketplace and can lead to overspending by Commonwealth agencies. My bill accomplishes two main goals. First, my legislation would require the General Assembly and the Judiciary to abide by the Procurement Code. Secondly, current language pertaining to sole source contracting is eliminated from state law. Not only will these changes enhance the ability of small, minority and veteran owned businesses to compete for State contracts, they will also go a long way toward re-establishing the public’s trust in our State government. I invite all members to co-sponsor this crucial measure. |
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View Attachment |
Introduced as HB1805