Senate Bill 196 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Steve LivingstonSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Competitive bidding; purchase and installation of playground equipment by public K-12 schools, exempted

Summary

SB196 would exempt the purchase and installation of playground equipment for public property from the public works bidding requirements, requiring these contracts to be bid under the standard competitive bidding laws.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, playground equipment contracts would be exempt from the public works bidding rules and would instead be bid under the standard competitive bidding laws. The bill defines playground equipment to include items like slides, swings, climbing structures, seesaws, splash pads, and related safety features and accessories. The rest of the public works process remains in place for other projects, and the act sets up a centralized bid notice system and related bidding rules, including emergency bidding options.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 schools and other public property owners who buy and install playground equipment would use the standard competitive bidding process for these purchases.
• Playground equipment vendors and contractors would bid on these projects under the regular competitive bidding process and compete for contracts to supply and install such equipment.

Key Provisions

• Exempts the purchase and installation of playground equipment from the public works bidding requirements; such contracts must be bid under the applicable competitive bidding law.
• Defines 'playground equipment' to include slides, swings, climbing equipment, seesaws, splash pads, and related safety features and accessories (safety surfacing, fencing, signage, shade structures).
• Requires that these contracts be advertised, bid, opened, and awarded according to standard bidding procedures, and prohibits breaking a project into smaller parts to evade bidding.
• Allows emergency contracting without public advertisement or bidding in certain emergencies, with afterward public disclosure of actions taken.
• Authorizes electronic bidding and may require posting bid notices on a centralized website maintained by the Department of Finance (with possible posting fees).
• Contracts that violate the act are void; willful violations can be a Class C felony.
• Effective date: June 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Competitive Bidding