The bill amends the existing law governing public and private utilities in Michigan, specifically focusing on the procurement processes for electric and natural gas utilities. It introduces a new section, 6bb, which mandates that before any utility can enter into contracts for construction, operations, maintenance, or capital improvements, they must implement a competitive procurement process. Additionally, the bill stipulates that the Michigan Public Service Commission will not permit utilities to recover expenses for contracts that do not adhere to this competitive process.

Furthermore, the bill allows bidders or ratepayers to initiate civil actions to enforce compliance with the competitive procurement requirements, with provisions for recovering damages and attorney fees for prevailing plaintiffs. It also establishes that all bids submitted to utilities will be considered public records, ensuring transparency by requiring utilities to make these bids and supporting documents available for public inspection. The definitions of terms related to the competitive procurement process are aligned with federal regulations applicable to local governments.

Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 460.1, 460.11