Changes to Government Procurement Rules
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Bill Summary - 20LSO-0037 Bill No.: HB0050 Effective: Multiple Dates LSO No.: 20LSO-0037 Enrolled Act No.: HEA No. 0030 Chapter No.: 29 Prime Sponsor: Joint Appropriations Committee Catch Title: Government procurement-amendments. Subject: State procurement for capital construction, services, and supplies. Summary/Major Elements: Under existing law, procurement and contracting by state agencies is administered by the Department of Administration and Information. This applies to procurement of services and supplies generally, including capital construction projects. The act: Creates separate requirements and bidding thresholds for capital construction procurement and contracting by state agencies (including school districts), the University of Wyoming, and community colleges for certain projects; Charges the State Construction Department to administer capital construction procurement for state agencies; Requires notice of an opportunity to bid on state capital construction projects to be posted on the state procurement website. For school district capital construction projects, notice must be published in a newspaper and on the state procurement website; Raises the threshold value of capital construction projects requiring a bid bond; Requires rulemaking; Increases bidding and contracting thresholds for general procurement by state agencies for noncapital construction procurement of services and supplies and certain road and bridge improvements. Comments: That portion of the act requiring promulgation of rules is effective immediately. The remainder of the act has a delayed effective date of October 1, 2020. The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Public statements
Last checked Aug 7, 2:01 AM
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker explains that the amendment clarifies ambiguous language regarding 'state commitment' by replacing it with a specific timeline before contract execution. They also state the change ensures community college projects are subject to oversight even if they bypassed the Community College Commission.
S13
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker states the amendment adds accountability and transparency by requiring bidders to disclose business or familial connections to state officers. They also note it ensures consistency in rules for community colleges and the University of Wyoming.
R · H08
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe requiring newspaper publication misses the target audience of contractors and subcontractors, noting that many newspapers are not actually printed in their respective counties.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment as a reasonable compromise that reduces the publication requirement from four weeks to just one time, which they do not consider too much to ask.
R · H09
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe contractors looking for notices are already online and do not read newspapers, making this an inefficient use of state resources in the 21st century.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because they believe it is an effective way to reach seniors and others who are not savvy with social media or the internet but read newspapers religiously.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment due to the lack of newspapers with general circulation throughout the state, noting that many small towns only have local papers.
R · H11
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because they believe it misses the bill's intent to notify professionals who already check a specific website, rather than providing general notice to seniors or others without internet access.
H02
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment again, arguing it provides necessary avenues of information for everyday taxpayers who still rely on physical newspapers despite digital options.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because it provides a fair balance by extending the notice period for subcontractors to 60 days after last providing work, preventing them from losing money due to tight timelines.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker opposes the amendment because industry associations indicated it would prolong the final payment process and create problems for general contractors who need to know all subcontractors ahead of completion.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment because providing notice at the end of a project gives suppliers time to claim payment if issues arise, similar to lien laws.
Why they voted this way
The lawmaker supports the amendment based on past experiences where conflicts arose at the end of long-duration projects because subcontractors did not file notice early enough.
If a lawmaker is not listed, we couldn't find a published reason.
Wyoming roll calls
8 roll calls
Official activity
Changes
11 stored
The amendment modifies procurement rules to require written contracts before services or capital construction projects begin and adds requirements for approval by various departments.
The amendment requires governmental entities to publish procurement notices not only on their website but also in a newspaper with statewide distribution.
The amendment requires that government procurement notices be published not only weekly but also at least once in a newspaper printed in the relevant county.
The amendment adds a requirement that contracts for capital construction projects over $50,000 must be approved by the governor or their chosen representative before the state can commit to them.
The amendment changes the rules related to implementing procurement provisions by setting specific deadlines for the state construction department and the University of Wyoming board of trustees to adopt emergency and final rules.
The amendment changes the phrase 'prior to state commitment' to 'before the state executes the contract' in several places, and replaces 'and' with 'or' in two instances.
The amendment reduces the monetary thresholds for various procurement processes from $50,000 to $10,000.
The amendment removes specific provisions from the bill related to procurement and contracting by governmental entities and changes the effective date of the entire act to July 1, 2020.
The amendment changes the effective date for certain sections of the bill from July 1, 2020 to October 1, 2020.
The amendment adds requirements for bidders to disclose business connections and familial relationships with state officers or employees when submitting bids.
The amendment changes the threshold for certain government procurement rules and modifies how contracts over a specific value are advertised.