This bill amends the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 to ensure that no public entity, including state agencies, counties, and school districts, can issue solicitations for public improvement or construction contracts without prior approval, appropriation, and certification of sufficient funds. The bill mandates that public entities obtain a written certification of funds from the responsible officer before issuing any competitive bidding documents. This certification must identify the funding source, state the available amount, and confirm that the funds are unencumbered and sufficient for the project. Additionally, the certification must be retained in the official project file and referenced in the bidding documents. Any solicitation issued without this certification will be deemed void, and bids received will not be considered.

The bill also amends Section 1501 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes, which outlines the duties of county purchasing agents. It prohibits the issuance of any competitive solicitation for acquisitions to be paid from county funds unless funding has been formally approved, appropriated, and certified. Similar to the previous provisions, the county clerk must obtain a written certification of funds before issuing solicitations, and any solicitation without this certification will be invalid. If the estimated procurement cost increases after certification but before the award, the solicitation process will be suspended until additional funds are appropriated and certified. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 19-1501