SB277 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Wes KitchensSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Competitive bidding; contract protest procedures revised

Summary

SB277 rewrites Alabama's competitive bidding protest rules, expands disclosure requirements for contracts and grants, and adds flexible filing and certification options.

What This Bill Does

It changes protest timelines by specifying how many days protestors have to file a notice of intent and a formal protest, and it states that protest procedures are not governed by the Administrative Procedures Act. It raises the minimum contract amount that requires a disclosure statement, allows alternative disclosure forms, and permits submitting a single annual disclosure for multiple proposals with the same agency. It also introduces an alternative method for certifying disclosure authenticity and encourages electronic submission and public accessibility of disclosures.

Who It Affects

• Bidders, offerors, and other interested parties who protest a competitive bid or award, including their rights and deadlines for filing notices and protests.
• Vendors, contractors, grant recipients, state agencies, and disclosure researchers, who must comply with disclosure requirements, use approved forms or annual disclosures, and follow new certification and submission processes.

Key Provisions

• Revision of protest procedures: defined deadlines for filing a notice of intent to protest and a formal protest with the Chief Procurement Officer, and protest procedures that are not subject to the Administrative Procedures Act.
• Disclosure statement changes: higher minimum contract amounts trigger disclosure, allowance of alternative disclosure forms, and the option to submit a single annual disclosure for multiple proposals to the same agency.
• Disclosure content and certification: disclosure statements must include information about public officials, their families, and others who may directly or indirectly benefit, plus names of paid consultants/lobbyists, all certified under oath or electronic methods.
• Electronic submission and public records: agencies may operate electronic systems for disclosures, disclosures become public records, and copies may be submitted to auditing bodies or oversight committees; retention and accessibility for review are specified.
• Exemptions and effective date: certain contracts and grants are exempt from these requirements; the act becomes effective June 1, 2024.

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

Subjects

Competitive Bidding