The proposed bill establishes the "Rhode Island Bid Rigging Act" as a new chapter in Title 37 of the General Laws, aimed at promoting competition and fairness in public procurement processes. It defines "bid rigging" as collusion among individuals or entities to predetermine the winning bidder for government contracts, including practices like price fixing and submitting identical bids. The Act makes bid rigging unlawful, prohibits public officials from unlawfully influencing contract awards, and mandates transparency in procurement. Key terms such as "debarment," "person," and "government entity" are defined, and penalties for violations are severe, classifying them as felonies with potential imprisonment of up to three years and fines reaching one million dollars or three times the value of the bid.

Additionally, the bill empowers the Attorney General to issue civil investigative demands when there is reasonable cause to believe a civil violation has occurred, allowing for evidence gathering before formal legal action. It establishes debarment provisions for vendors found in violation, prohibiting them from state contracts for up to five years, and requires government entities to maintain a list of debarred individuals. Intentional violations of the state purchases chapter are classified as misdemeanors, punishable by fines up to $500 or imprisonment for up to one year. The bill also includes a severability clause to ensure the enforceability of remaining provisions if any part is deemed invalid, and it is set to take effect upon passage.