Mississippi 2023 Regular Session

Mississippi House Bill HB879

Introduced

1/16/23

Refer

1/16/23

Failed

1/31/23

Caption

Public purchasing law; amend to allow competitive bids over $75,000.00 to be advertised on the procurement portal.

Impact

The revised law is anticipated to enhance transparency and efficiency in the procurement process. By mandating that higher-value contracts be advertised on an official portal, it ensures that a wider array of vendors can participate in bidding. This change is expected to improve accountability within state purchasing practices and could ultimately lead to better pricing and service for state-funded projects, benefiting taxpayers by encouraging a competitive market.

Summary

House Bill 879 amends Section 31-7-13 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, focusing on the public purchasing law. The bill allows competitive bids exceeding seventy-five thousand dollars to be publicly advertised on the procurement portal maintained by the Department of Finance and Administration. This amendment aims to streamline the bidding process for state agencies and governing authorities, making it easier to reach potential bidders and increase competition for state contracts.

Contention

While supporters argue that this amendment will simplify the bidding process and encourage more participation from vendors, there may be concerns regarding the impact of increased administrative responsibilities on smaller agencies, which may struggle with the new advertising requirements. Additionally, questions have been raised about the adequacy of the procurement portal in servicing all potentially interested vendors, which could affect small businesses' ability to access these opportunities effectively.