SB34 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Will BarfootSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Public contracts, contracts for heating and air conditioning systems, exemption further provided, Sec. 39-2-2 am'd.

Summary

SB34 would expand the HVAC procurement bidding exemption to any Alabama government entity that uses a Department of Examiners of Public Accounts approved competitive bid process.

What This Bill Does

If passed, state agencies, counties, municipalities, and other government entities could buy heating or air conditioning units without following standard public works bidding rules, as long as they use a DEPA approved competitive bid process. The exemption applies only to the HVAC purchase and does not remove other public works requirements for the overall project, such as design, plans, inspections, and code compliance. The bill also preserves the existing cooperative exemption for HVAC purchases with approved vendor status, subject to conditions such as DEPA approval of the bid process, price considerations, and reporting; it becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects

• State agencies, counties, municipalities, and other government entities would gain flexibility to use DEPA-approved competitive bid processes for HVAC purchases, bypassing standard public works bidding requirements.
• HVAC vendors and suppliers may have more opportunities to bid on government HVAC purchases through DEPA-approved processes and purchasing cooperatives.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 39-2-2 to exempt purchases of heating or air conditioning units or systems from public works bidding requirements when made by any governmental entity that uses a competitive bid process approved by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.
• The HVAC purchase exemption applies only to the HVAC purchase itself; the overall public works project must still follow remaining requirements such as design, plans, codes, and engineer compensation.
• The bill retains existing exemptions for HVAC purchases made through Alabama purchasing cooperatives with approved vendor status, subject to conditions including DEPA-approved bid process, price comparison with state programs, and reporting of sales.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and governor approval.

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

Subjects

Public Contracts