This bill amends the Local Public Contracts Law in New Jersey to increase the maximum contract amount for which a local contracting unit can authorize an employee to award a contract without public bidding from $17,500 to $22,000. The bill allows the governing body to designate a purchasing agent or other employee to award contracts below this threshold without the need for public advertising. 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 purchasing agent.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the provisions regarding the bid threshold for contracting units that do not have a qualified purchasing agent. It removes the previous stipulation that the bid threshold for such units be set at $17,500 until the individual obtains a qualified purchasing agent certificate, 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. The bill will take effect four months after its enactment.

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