Substitute House Bill No. 7018 establishes a Test Bed Technologies Program designed to evaluate and promote technologies, products, or processes that can reduce operational costs for state agencies. The bill creates an independent advisory board within the Department of Economic and Community Development, composed of five members appointed by various state officials. This board is responsible for reviewing applications from businesses, particularly small or minority-owned enterprises, and recommending pilot test programs that last between 30 to 60 days. The costs associated with these pilot programs will be the responsibility of the applicants, and any proprietary information generated during the tests will be exempt from public disclosure.

Key provisions of the bill include the requirement for applicants to submit a viability assessment conducted by an independent consulting firm, and the stipulation that the technology must be commercially available or have potential for commercialization within two years. The advisory board is limited to approving only one pilot test program per applicant and outlines a streamlined procurement process for successful technologies post-testing. Additionally, the bill allows municipalities to participate by evaluating and recommending test projects previously tested at the municipal level. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and introduces new legal language while making minor adjustments for consistency in existing statutes.