This bill amends the Local Public Contracts Law in New Jersey to increase the maximum contract amount for which a local contracting unit can designate an employee to award a contract without public advertising for bids from $17,500 to $22,000. The bill allows the governing body to authorize a purchasing agent or other designated employee to award contracts below this threshold without the need for public bidding. Additionally, if a contracting unit has a bid threshold exceeding $22,000 and has appointed a qualified purchasing agent, it can delegate the authority to award contracts valued between $22,000 and the established bid threshold to that agent.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the provisions regarding the bid threshold for contracting units that do not have a qualified purchasing agent certificate. It removes the previous stipulation that set the bid threshold at $17,500 until the individual obtained the necessary certification, instead allowing the threshold to be set at the amount authorized under the new provisions. This change aims to streamline the contracting process for local units and enhance their ability to manage contracts efficiently while maintaining compliance with public bidding laws.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40A:11-3, 40A:11-9