FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1434

 

                         C 354 L 95

                     Synopsis as Enacted

                             

Brief Description:  Increasing the limit for public utility districts to use alternative bid procedures.

 

Sponsors:  House Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Representatives Hankins, Casada, Mastin, Honeyford, Radcliff, Dyer, Grant, Blanton, Brumsickle, Delvin, L. Thomas and Chandler).

 

House Committee on Government Operations

Senate Committee on Government Operations

 

Background:  A public utility district must use formal competitive bidding procedures to award a contract for purchasing any materials, equipment, or supplies when the amount of the contract exceeds $15,000.

 

A public utility district is authorized to use a uniform process for awarding contracts for purchases from lists of vendors, in lieu of formal competitive bidding, when the amount of the contract will not exceed $15,000.

 

Under the uniform process, the local government must have established by resolution a procedure for securing telephone or written quotations, or both, from at least three different vendors to ensure that a competitive price is established.  The local government awards the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.  After the award is made, the bid quotations are open for public inspection and are available by telephone inquiry.  The local government must post a list of the contracts  that are awarded through this informal process at least once every two months.  The local government must publish a notice of the existence of vendor lists and solicit the names of vendors for the lists at least twice a year.

 

It is suggested that the maximum amount of a contract for purchases that may be awarded by a public utility district using these uniform procedures should be raised.

 

Summary:  The maximum amount of a contract for purchases that may be awarded from a vendor list through a uniform process by a public utility district is increased from $15,000 to $35,000.

 

Votes on Final Passage:

 

House     97 0

Senate    42 0

 

Effective:  July 23, 1995