SB174 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arthur OrrSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Finance Dept., Chief Procurement Officer, powers and duties further provided, Rehabilitation Services Dept., exempt, Secs. 41-4-122, 41-4-126, 41-4-132, 41-4-133, 41-4-171 am'd.

Summary

SB174 updates Alabama's procurement rules by boosting reporting and exemptions, expanding credit card use, allowing cooperative purchasing, and adjusting how the Chief Procurement Officer handles certain contracts—including a separate bidding path for push-to-talk services.

What This Bill Does

The bill amends existing procurement law to require more periodic reporting by the Chief Procurement Officer and certain counties; it creates a credit card procurement program for government bodies with rules on providers, approvals, and fund accounting; it allows cooperative purchasing among public procurement units; and it specifies exemptions from competitive bidding for several categories. It also requires push-to-talk services to be bid through a separate process, not via the multiple-award mechanism used for other purchases. Additionally, it authorizes a biannual vendor registration fee to help cover operating costs and clarifies various authority and coordination rules with other state agencies.

Who It Affects

• State and local government agencies (including counties and municipalities) that procure supplies and services; they face new reporting requirements, potential use of credit cards, and specific exemptions.
• Vendors and contractors bidding for state contracts and those desiring to register with the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer; they may pay a biannual registration fee and must follow the revised bidding and procurement procedures.

Key Provisions

• Adds periodic reporting requirements: the Chief Procurement Officer can require counties to report procurements of $100 or more, with forms and submission timelines (no more than once every 30 days).
• Creates a state credit card procurement system: allows approved credit cards for government purchases, mandates competitive selection of providers, requires prior department head approval for each purchase, and requires annual reporting and accounting into the State Procurement Fund.
• Imposes a biannual vendor registration fee to receive bid invitations, with funds deposited to the State Procurement Fund and governed by existing appropriation rules.
• Removes push-to-talk services from the multiple-award bid process and requires a separate competitive bid for those services; other purchases may still use multiple awards under certain conditions with specific criteria.
• Maintains and clarifies exemptions from competitive bidding for listed categories (arts, books, utilities with fixed rates, alcohol purchases by ABC, certain state institute products, etc.) and authorizes cooperative purchasing among public procurement units with source selection methods similar to Division 3.

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 GovernmentContracts