House Bill No. by Representative Deshotel seeks to amend and reenact several sections of the Louisiana Revised Statutes concerning the procurement of voting systems and their components. The bill replaces the term "solicitation of bids for" with "procurement and use of" new voting systems and introduces competitive sealed proposals or invitations to negotiate as the primary procurement methods, moving away from the previous competitive request for proposals process. It establishes the Voting System Commission and the Voting System Proposal Evaluation Committee, outlining their roles in the approval and evaluation of voting systems. Additionally, the bill enacts a new subpart detailing legal and contractual remedies for procurement, including the chief procurement officer's authority to resolve protests related to solicitations and contract awards.

The bill also introduces amendments to the appeals process for decisions made by the state chief procurement officer, establishing a finality clause for decisions unless proven fraudulent or if an aggrieved party appeals to the court. It mandates that if a decision is not made within sixty days of a request, the contractor may treat it as an adverse decision. The Nineteenth Judicial District Court is designated as the exclusive venue for actions related to contract solicitations, awards, debarments, and suspensions, allowing for greater scrutiny of procurement decisions. The bill emphasizes timely commencement of actions and appeals, ensuring expedited judicial processes, and will become null and void after June 30, 2027, unless further action is taken.

Statutes affected:
HB577 Original: 18:1361(A), 18:1362(A)(1), 18:1(I)(1), 18:2(A)
HB577 Engrossed: 18:1361(A), 18:1362(A)(1), 18:1(I)(1), 18:2(A)
HB577 Enrolled: 18:1361(A), 18:1362(A)(1), 18:1(I)(1), 18:2(A)