SB 652 (McPike) originally would have established Board of Purchases of Services from People with Disabilities. It was amended to require the Secretary of Administration to convene a work group to make recommendations regarding modifications to state procurement policies to incentivize the competitive integrated employment of individuals with significant disabilities, rather than establish a Board. There will be 17 people on the work group including one representative from both VACo and VML with a report due by July 1, 2019. This bill is being considered by House General Laws Committee this week.
SB 688 (Ruff) allows the use of cooperative procurement for stream restoration and stormwater management projects as well as all associated and necessary construction and maintenance. HB 574 (Hodges) is the companion bill, and both bills have passed.
HB 97 (J. Bell) increases the small purchase limit for professional services from $60,000 to $80,000 and increases the annual term limit on A/E contracts from $500,000 to $750,000. This bill has been reported out of the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee.
HB 375 (Davis) prohibits local governing bodies from establishing provisions related to procurement of goods, professional services, or construction that would require a wage floor or any other employee benefit or compensation above what is otherwise required by state or federal law to be provided by a contractor to one or more of the contractor’s employees as part of a contract with the locality. This bill reported out of the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee on a close 8-7 vote.
HB 760 (Landes) requires a public body to accomplish procurement by obtaining written informal solicitation of a minimum of three bidders or offerors if practicable and including a written statement regarding the basis for awarding the contract when purchasing Virginia-grown food products under the current exemption from the Virginia Public Procurement Act for the purchase of Virginia-grown food products for use by a public body where the annual cost of the product is not expected to exceed $100,000. This bill has been reported out of Senate General Laws and Technology Committee and sent to the Senate Finance Committee.
VACo Contact: Phyllis Errico, Esq., CAE