SB98 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Tammy Irons

Democrat

Co-Sponsors

Roger Bedford, Jr.Arthur OrrJimmy HolleyBill HoltzclawPhillip W. WilliamsGerald O. DialTom Whatley

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Contract Review Permanent Legislative Oversight Committee, emergency contracts treatment, Secs. 29-2-41.1, 41-16-72 am'd.

Summary

SB98 tightens emergency contracting and professional services procurement in Alabama by imposing 60-day limits, requiring oversight review, and creating standardized provider selection procedures with diversity requirements.

What This Bill Does

It tightens emergency contracts by limiting them to 60 days and prohibiting a second identical emergency contract for the same services within one year, with the Contract Review Committee reviewing longer-term contracts as needed. It requires immediate notification to the committee when an emergency contract will be followed by a longer contract, and allows the committee to review the longer-term contract concurrently with the emergency period. It creates a structured, list-based selection process for professional services (attorneys, physicians, engineers, architects, and similar professionals), requires fees to be negotiated and approved with oversight, and sets exemptions for certain state entities. It also allows emergency procurement of professional services for up to 60 days without the standard process, with the same one-year restriction on repeated emergencies and diversity requirements for lists and outreach.

Who It Affects

• State agencies and their heads: must notify the Contract Review Committee about emergency contracts and any follow-up longer contracts; are subject to the 60-day limit and one-year restriction.
• Contract Review Permanent Legislative Oversight Committee: gains clearer authority to review emergency contracts and to review longer-term follow-ons concurrently with emergencies.
• Professional service providers (attorneys, physicians, architects, engineers, etc.): must be listed or selected from official lists, evaluated on criteria like skill and experience, and have fees negotiated and approved with oversight; diversity requirements apply to lists and outreach.
• Governor and Director of Finance: oversee fee negotiations and approvals for selected professionals and have role in establishing and maintaining provider lists.
• Exempt entities and situations: the Legislature, Alabama State Port Authority, and most colleges/universities are largely exempt from these processes; the State Department of Education has specific exemptions except for certain statewide computer networking services.
• Local boards of education (in certain intervention situations): may be subject to different rules if the Department of Education has intervened in financial operations.

Key Provisions

• Emergency contracts may be let for up to 60 days without review, but a longer-term contract must be reviewed by the Contract Review Committee; a second identical or substantially similar emergency contract cannot be let within one calendar year of the initial start.
• If an emergency contract will be followed by a longer contract, the head of the relevant institution must notify the committee; the committee’s 60-day review for the longer contract runs concurrently with the emergency contract.
• Professional services must be procured through defined selection processes: attorneys from a Governor/Attorney General-listed roster, physicians from the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission, and architects/engineers through qualification-based selection; fees negotiated and approved with appropriate oversight; diversity requirements apply to provider lists and outreach.
• The Director of Finance and purchasing divisions establish and maintain provider lists for professional services; contracts should reflect best value, with price considered in selections; exceptions exist for certain entities and for specific non-litigation or court-appointed roles.
• Emergency procurement of professional services is allowed without following the standard process for emergencies, limited to 60 days, with concurrent committee review for longer terms and the same one-year restriction on issuing a second identical emergency contract.
• Under nine subsections, the act requires broad notice to all interested professional service providers, dissemination of opportunities, and emphasis on diversity in provider listings.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following its passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

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