HB171 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny GarrettRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

State government, Office of Chief Procurement Officer, established, Division of Purchasing within the Dept. of Finance, abolished, Secs. 41-4-110 to 41-4-161, inclusive, 41-16-20 to 41-16-32, incl., 41-16-70 to 41-16-79, incl., repealed; Secs. 41-4-110 to 41-4-116, incl., 41-4-120 to 41-4-151, incl., 41-4-155, 41-4-160 to 41-4-168, incl., 41-4-170 to 41-4-178, incl., added; Sec. 41-4-66, 41-16-50 am'd.

Summary

HB171 would abolish the Division of Purchasing and create the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer to centralize and oversee all state procurement in Alabama.

What This Bill Does

The bill repeals existing divisions related to procurement and replaces them with a new Article 5 establishing the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) within the Department of Finance, which would procure or supervise the state’s purchases of supplies and services. It transfers procurement rights, powers, and duties to the OCPO, sets appointment and authority rules for the Chief Procurement Officer, and requires procedures, reporting, and a statewide public database of proposals. It also introduces local preferences for Alabama-based vendors, enables cooperative purchasing among public units, and defines related exemptions and operational details, with an effective date of October 1, 2022.

Who It Affects

• State and local government entities (state agencies, counties, municipalities, school boards, and public colleges/universities) would have their procurement authority centralized under the OCPO and would need to follow the new rules, cooperate with the OCPO, and participate in reporting and cooperative purchasing where applicable.
• Vendors and suppliers bidding for state contracts would participate in the OCPO procurement process, must register to receive bid invitations, provide required pricing and compliance information, and adhere to new bidding, contract, and record-keeping requirements (including taxes and potential fees), with protections such as debarment and transparency provisions.

Key Provisions

• Provision 1: Abolish the Division of Purchasing and create the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer within the Department of Finance, transferring all procurement authority to the OCPO and outlining the Chief Procurement Officer's appointment, duties, and authority to procure or supervise state purchases.
• Provision 2: Amend 41-16-50 to establish local preference zones and enhanced preferences for Alabama-based businesses (including resident, veteran-, minority-, and women-owned enterprises), authorize cooperative purchasing among public units, and set related procurement procedures and exceptions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

State Government