LCO \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2022HB-05453-R01- HB.docx 1 of 5 General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5453 February Session, 2022 AN ACT REQUIRING THE ONLINE POSTING OF CERTAIN STATE CONTRACTS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. Section 4a-57 of the 2022 supplement to the general statutes 1 is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 2 October 1, 2022): 3 (a) All purchases of, and contracts for, supplies, materials, equipment 4 and contractual services, except purchases and contracts made pursuant 5 to the provisions of subsection (b) or (d) of this section and public utility 6 services as provided in subsection (e) of this section shall be based, when 7 possible, on competitive bids or competitive negotiation. The 8 commissioner shall solicit competitive bids or proposals by providing 9 notice of the planned purchase in a form and manner that the 10 commissioner determines will maximize public participation in the 11 competitive bidding or competitive negotiation process, including 12 participation by small contractors, as defined in section 4a-60g, and 13 promote competition. In the case of an expenditure that is estimated to 14 exceed fifty thousand dollars, such notice shall be posted, not less than 15 five calendar days before the final date of submitting bids or proposals, 16 on the State Contracting Portal. Each notice of a planned purchase under 17 this subsection shall indicate the type of goods and services to be 18 purchased and the estimated value of the contract award. The notice 19 shall also contain a notice of state contract requirements concerning 20 Substitute Bill No. 5453 LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2022HB-05453- R01-HB.docx } 2 of 5 nondiscrimination and affirmative action pursuant to section 4a-60 and, 21 when applicable, requirements concerning the awarding of contracts to 22 small contractors, minority business enterprises, individuals with a 23 disability and nonprofit corporations pursuant to section 4a-60g. Each 24 bid and proposal shall be kept sealed or secured until opened publicly 25 at the time stated in the notice soliciting such bid or proposal. 26 (b) The commissioner may, at the commissioner's discretion, waive 27 the requirement of competitive bidding or competitive negotiation in 28 the case of minor nonrecurring or emergency purchases of ten thousand 29 dollars or less in amount. 30 (c) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 31 provisions of chapter 54, establishing (1) standards and procedures for 32 using competitive negotiation for purchases and contracts, including 33 but not limited to, criteria which shall be considered in making 34 purchases by competitive negotiation and the weight which shall be 35 assigned to each such criterion, and (2) standards and procedures under 36 which additional purchases may be made under existing contracts. 37 (d) The commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of 38 Energy and Environmental Protection and with the approval of the 39 Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, may waive the 40 requirement of competitive bidding or competitive negotiation in the 41 case of a purchase of cars or light-duty trucks in order to comply with 42 any provisions of the general statutes regarding the purchase of 43 alternative fuel vehicles or any such requirement of federal law. 44 (e) (1) The purchase of or contract for the following public utility 45 services shall not be subject to competitive bidding or competitive 46 negotiation: (A) Electric distribution services; (B) water services; (C) gas 47 distribution services; (D) electric generation services until the date such 48 services are competitive pursuant to the schedule set forth in section 16-49 244b, provided electric generation services shall be exempt from 50 competitive bidding and competitive negotiation after said date if such 51 services are provided by an electric municipal utility other than by a 52 Substitute Bill No. 5453 LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2022HB-05453- R01-HB.docx } 3 of 5 participating electric municipal utility, as defined in section 16-1, in the 53 service area of said electric municipal utility; and (E) gas supply services 54 until the date such services are competitive pursuant to legislative act or 55 order of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, provided gas supply 56 services shall be exempt from competitive bidding and competitive 57 negotiation after said date if such services are provided by a gas 58 municipal utility in the service area of said gas municipal utility. 59 (2) Any purchase of or contract by the department for electric 60 generation services that are subject to competitive bidding and 61 competitive negotiations shall be conducted in cooperation with the 62 Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to 63 section 16a-14e. 64 (f) The commissioner shall post any contract entered into under this 65 section that has not been subject to competitive bidding or competitive 66 negotiation on the Internet web site of the Department of 67 Administrative Services, provided nothing in this subsection shall be 68 construed to require the disclosure of any information not required to 69 be disclosed under subsection (b) of section 1-210. 70 [(f)] (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to the 71 award of janitorial or service contracts pursuant to the provisions of 72 subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of section 4a-82. 73 Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 4a-58 of the general statutes is 74 repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 75 1, 2022): 76 (b) Whenever an emergency exists by reason of extraordinary 77 conditions or contingencies that could not reasonably be foreseen and 78 guarded against, or because of unusual trade or market conditions, the 79 Commissioner of Administrative Services, or, in the case of purchases, 80 leases and contracts for information systems, information technology 81 personal property and telecommunication systems, the Chief 82 Information Officer, may, if it is in the best interests of the state, waive 83 Substitute Bill No. 5453 LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2022HB-05453- R01-HB.docx } 4 of 5 the competitive bid or proposal requirements set forth in section 4a-57, 84 as amended by this act. If any such procurement is estimated to cost fifty 85 thousand dollars or more, such waiver shall be subject to the approval 86 of the Standardization Committee. A statement of all purchases made 87 under the provisions of this section and, in the case of a contract, the 88 contract shall be posted on the Internet web site of the Department of 89 Administrative Services, provided nothing in this subsection shall be 90 construed to require the disclosure of any information not required to 91 be disclosed under subsection (b) of section 1-210. 92 Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 4a-59a of the general statutes is 93 repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 94 1, 2022): 95 (c) If any contract is extended pursuant to this section without 96 complying with the competitive bidding requirements of subsection (a) 97 of section 4a-57, as amended by this act, the Commissioner of 98 Administrative Services shall post the contract and an explanation of the 99 reasons for such noncompliance on the Department of Administrative 100 Services' Internet web site, provided nothing in this subsection shall be 101 construed to require the disclosure of any information not required to 102 be disclosed under subsection (b) of section 1-210. 103 Sec. 4. Section 4e-15 of the general statutes is repealed and the 104 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2022): 105 Nothing in sections 4e-1 to 4e-14, inclusive, and 4e-16 shall be 106 construed to affect the requirements of subsection [(f)] (g) of section 4a-107 57, as amended by this act, subsection (p) of section 4a-60g, sections 4a-108 82 and 17b-656 and subsection (c) of section 31-57g. 109 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 October 1, 2022 4a-57 Sec. 2 October 1, 2022 4a-58(b) Sec. 3 October 1, 2022 4a-59a(c) Substitute Bill No. 5453 LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2022HB-05453- R01-HB.docx } 5 of 5 Sec. 4 October 1, 2022 4e-15 Statement of Legislative Commissioners: In Section 1(a), a reference to Subsec. (d) was added for accuracy and in Section 1(f), "without being" was changed to "that has not been" for clarity. GAE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO