Substitute House Bill No. 7018 establishes a Test Bed Technologies Program within the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) to facilitate the evaluation of technologies, products, or processes that can help reduce operational costs for state agencies. The bill creates a Test Bed Technologies Advisory Board, composed of five members appointed by various state officials, which will review applications from businesses, particularly small and minority-owned enterprises, for participation in pilot test programs. The board is responsible for recommending pilot tests that must last between 30 to 60 days, with the costs incurred by the applicants. Additionally, proprietary information from these 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 bill clarifies that the acquisition of technology for pilot tests will not be considered a purchase under state procurement law, and it allows for the waiver of certain competitive bidding requirements for these test projects. 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.