ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 3137

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 16, 2019

      The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports favorably and with amendments Senate Bill No. 3137 (1R).

      As amended by the committee, this bill would require local public contracting units to use an electronic procurement process for public works construction contracts whenever the project’s value exceeds $5,000,000.  The amended bill would also require State public contracting units to use an electronic procurement process for public works construction contracts when the project requires public advertisement.

      The bill requires the State Treasurer to promulgate regulations to effectuate the electronic procurement of public works construction as required in the bill, in consultation with the State Comptroller, the Commissioner of Community Affairs, the Commissioner of Education, and the Secretary of Higher Education.  The regulations shall set forth each of the steps the State Treasurer deems appropriate to be taken by each State or local public contracting unit for contracts that meet those criteria.  The regulations shall also set forth a procedure to be followed by a State or local public contracting unit for the awarding of a contract for the administration of the electronic procurement process.

     The regulations shall also require certain bidding components specified in the bill, and set qualifications to be met by firms providing electronic procurement processes under the bill.

     As amended by the committee, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1308 (1R), also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1) clarify that State public contracting units, as defined in the bill, shall use electronic procurement whenever the project requires public advertisement, while local public contracting units must use electronic procurement technologies when a project’s value exceeds $5,000,000; and

      (2) make technical and clarifying amendments to provisions of the bill concerning regulations required to be promulgated with respect to bidding components and procurement processes.