SB182 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

State government, Office of Chief Procurement Officer, established, Division of Purchasing within the Dept. of Finance, eliminated, Secs. 41-4-110 to 41-4-161, inclusive, repealed; Secs. 41-4-110A to 41-4-116A, incl., 41-4-120A to 41-4-151A, incl., 41-4-155A, 41-4-160A to 41-4-168A, incl., 41-4-170 to 41-4-178A, incl., added; Sec. 41-4-66 am'd.

Summary

SB182 would abolish the Division of Purchasing and replace it with a centralized Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to oversee and modernize how Alabama buys goods and services for state government.

What This Bill Does

Creates the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer within the Department of Finance to make or supervise all state purchases and to establish procurement rules. Transfers authority from the old purchasing structure to the Chief Procurement Officer, and requires adoption of standardized procedures, a public RFP database, and a statewide credit-card procurement system, with funding through a State Procurement Fund. Extends procurement rules to state agencies and many public units, while allowing certain exceptions for legislative/judicial bodies, DOT, and the Port Authority, and encourages cooperative purchasing and support for small and disadvantaged businesses. Establishes processes for bids, proposals, emergencies, disputes, debarment, and transparency, including public access to procurement information and posting of certain records.

Who It Affects

• State government agencies and public procurement units: must procure through the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, follow new rules, report certain purchases by counties, and maintain procurement offices or comply with delegated duties.
• Vendors, bidders, contractors, and suppliers: must register with the new office, compete under revised bidding/proposal rules, may be subject to debarment or suspension for misconduct, and must comply with tax and disclosure requirements and contract transparency provisions.

Key Provisions

• Abolishes the Division of Purchasing and creates the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCP) to oversee state purchases.
• Chief Procurement Officer appointed by the Director of Finance with Governor approval; must have recent public-procurement experience.
• Transfers rights, powers, and duties related to procurement to the Chief Procurement Officer and allows delegation to designees or other agencies as permitted by rules.
• Establishes rules and standards for all state procurement, including a statewide RFP database, electronic signatures, open public records, and reporting requirements.
• Centralizes procurement of most supplies and services (except some categories like alcoholic beverages and certain professional services) and authorizes a state credit-card program with oversight and reporting, funded by a dedicated State Procurement Fund.
• Creates multiple procurement methods (competitive bids, competitive sealed proposals, small purchases, sole source, emergencies, and special procurements) with defined evaluation criteria and procedures for corrections and award notices.
• Prohibits cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost contracts; allows cost-reimbursement contracts only under specific cost-effectiveness or impracticality conditions; requires detailed determinations if used.
• Provides for protests, disputes, debarment/suspension, and appeals, with final decisions subject to administrative review and potential court action; requires publication of contingency-fee contracts and detailed record-keeping.
• Encourages cooperative purchasing and joint procurement with local public procurement units; allows cross-unit use of contracts and information sharing.
• Extends certain protections and programs to small and disadvantaged businesses, including bonding adjustments and potential progress payments to encourage their participation.
• Sets exemptions and special rules for certain entities (e.g., legislative/judicial agencies have separate procedures; DOT has limited oversight for professional services; educational institutions may be subject to this article but with exceptions).
• Amends related sections (including 41-4-66 and 41-16-50) to require a public RFP database and to allow local preferences and zones in bidding, with preference for Alabama-based bidders where applicable.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

State Government