JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Lawmakers in the House put their stamp of approval on updating Missouri’s competitive bidding processes and upping the amount necessary to issue a request for proposal.
On Monday, the committee passed HB 214, sponsored by Rep. Curtis Trent, in a 134-18 vote. The measure makes alters which state purchases be based on competitive bids, upping the amount necessary to issue a request for proposal, and increase department’s flexibility on information technology purchases.
“The goal here is just to update some threshold numbers on the bidding process. That hasn’t been updated since 1995,” Trent said. “So the design here is just to make it easier for the administration to purchase needed items of a noncontroversial nature in small value amounts.”
Currently, the Commissioner of the Office of Administration is required to advertise and solicit bids on any state purchase with an estimated expenditure of $25,000 or more. HB 214 would increase that amount to $100,000 or more.
The measure also gives the commissioner the flexibility to determine if the use of competitive bidding is practicable or advantageous to the state on purchases estimated to be $100,000 or more – an increase from $25,000.
The purchase amount for the bidding process be based on competitive bids is also increased. Currently, all state purchases in excess of $3,000 must be based on competitive bids with specified exceptions. HB 214 increased that amount to $10,000.
Additionally, the measure authorizes departments to purchase products and services related to information technology under certain conditions, including when the purchase does not exceed $150,000 — an increase from the current amount of $75,000.
Kaden Quinn contributed to this report.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
