Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Danielsen and Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Requires State to enter into contract for COVID-19 testing kits for purchase by institutions of higher education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the purchase of COVID-19 testing kits by institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 34 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall award a contract or contracts for the procurement of COVID-19 testing kits, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 34 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, which shall include antibody testing kits and nasal swab testing kits, to a bidder or bidders whose proposal will be most advantageous to the State. The director, in consultation with the commissioner, may make awards to multiple bidders in accordance with section 1 of P.L.1986, c.26 (C.52:34-12.1).
b. The governing board of a public institution of higher education or an independent institution of higher education, without advertising for bids, or after having rejected all bids obtained pursuant to advertising therefor, by resolution may purchase COVID-19 testing kits through the contract or contracts for such testing kits entered into by the Division of Purchase and Property, pursuant to the provisions of subsection a. of this section.
c. The Commissioner of Health shall coordinate the purchase of COVID-19 testing kits by public institutions of higher education and independent institutions of higher education which determine to purchase the testing kits in accordance with subsection b. of this section.
d. As used in this section:
“Independent institution of higher education” means an eligible institution as defined under subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1979, c.132 (C.18A:72B-17).
“Public institution of higher education” means Rutgers, The State University, the State colleges, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University, Montclair State University, the county colleges and any other public university or college now or hereafter established or authorized by law.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State to purchase, in bulk, COVID-19 testing kits. The testing kits would include antibody testing kits and nasal swab testing kits, among other things. The State would not be limited to awarding contracts to one bidder. If it is deemed advantageous, the State may purchase from more than one bidder to fill the necessary demand for COVID-19 testing kits. Public and independent institutions of higher education throughout the State would then be allowed to purchase the testing kits from the State. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Health would be required to coordinate the purchase of testing kits by the institutions of higher education.