05/15/2003 07:53 AM Senate L&C

                                                                                                                                
             HB 313-STATE PROCUREMENT PILOT PROGRAM                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR CON  BUNDE called  the Senate  Labor and  Commerce Standing                                                             
Committee meeting  to order  at 7:53  a.m. Present  were Senators                                                               
Stevens, Seekins,  French and Bunde.  The Chair announced  HB 313                                                               
to be up for consideration.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HOLLIS FRENCH said someone  asked him about the exemption                                                               
for the procurement  code in this bill and he  wanted Mr. Jardell                                                               
to explain how that will play out in the award of this contract.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.   KEVIN  JARDELL,   Assistant  Commissioner,   Department  of                                                               
Administration,  explained  that  the  provisions  exempting  the                                                               
process from the  procurement code caused the  department to take                                                               
a great deal of caution. He noted:                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     We are absolutely supportive of  the new technology and                                                                    
     finding  efficiencies, both  in real  dollars and  time                                                                    
     getting materials to our employees  in a more efficient                                                                    
     manner. Any  time we begin blanket  exemptions in [the]                                                                    
     procurement code, the  administration gets wide-eyed; a                                                                    
     red  flag comes  up and  says slow  down. We've  got to                                                                    
     make sure  that we're  not going to  get in  trouble on                                                                    
     this. That's  one of the  reasons we insisted  that the                                                                    
     language in the  bill be permissive - that  we "may" do                                                                    
     it.  If we  see at  any point  along the  line that  we                                                                    
     don't feel  as the  administration that  we can  put in                                                                    
     the  protections  to  the local  businessmen  -  people                                                                    
     selling the goods,  the vendors - then we  can stop the                                                                    
     program.  It  is  our  intention   to  write  regs  and                                                                    
     processes  to insure  that as  much of  the procurement                                                                    
     code can  be used in this  process as fits. Some  of it                                                                    
     won't, but  especially the  systems whereby  people can                                                                    
     appeal. They can bring their  problems forward and have                                                                    
     a process to bring up  any objections that they have if                                                                    
     they feel they're not getting a fair shake....                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR RALPH  SEEKINS moved to  pass HB 313 from  committee with                                                               
individual recommendations  and attached fiscal note.  There were                                                               
no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE [recessed] the meeting at 7:56 a.m.