This bill amends the existing law governing public and private utilities in Michigan by introducing a new section, 6bb, which mandates a competitive procurement process for electric and natural gas utilities before they can enter into contracts for construction, operations, maintenance, or capital improvement work. The bill stipulates that any expenses incurred by these utilities for contracts not subjected to this competitive process will not be recoverable. Additionally, it allows bidders or ratepayers to initiate civil actions to enforce compliance with this requirement, with provisions for damages and attorney fees for prevailing plaintiffs.

Furthermore, the bill ensures transparency by classifying all bids submitted to electric and natural gas utilities as public records, requiring these utilities to make all bids and supporting documentation available for public inspection in accordance with procedures similar to those outlined in the Freedom of Information Act. The bill also defines the terms "competitive procurement process," "competitively bid," and "competitive solicitation" in alignment with federal regulations applicable to local governments.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 460.1, 460.11