This bill amends the Local Public Contracts Law in New Jersey to increase the maximum contract amount for which a local contracting unit's governing body can authorize an employee to award a contract without public bidding from $17,500 to $22,000. This change allows for greater flexibility in the procurement process, enabling designated employees to award contracts without the need for public advertising, provided the contract amount does not exceed the new threshold. Additionally, if a contracting unit has a bid threshold set above $22,000, it can delegate the authority to award contracts valued between $22,000 and the established bid threshold to a qualified purchasing agent.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the provisions regarding purchasing agents who do not possess a qualified purchasing agent certificate, allowing them to continue operating under the new threshold amount as defined in the amended law. The bill also maintains the existing authority for contracting units to set a bid threshold of up to $25,000 or as adjusted by the Governor. Overall, these amendments aim to streamline the contracting process for local governments while ensuring that appropriate oversight and delegation of authority are maintained.

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