House Bill 2032, also known as the "Higher Education Purchasing Act," aims to enhance procurement opportunities for private institutions of higher education in Tennessee. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, by establishing a new part that allows eligible private colleges and universities to access state cooperative purchasing contracts on the same terms and pricing as public institutions. This change is intended to reduce procurement costs for private institutions, which currently face higher prices for identical goods and services compared to their public counterparts. The bill outlines definitions for eligible institutions and state cooperative purchasing contracts, and emphasizes that participation is voluntary and does not require state funding.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions to ensure that access to these purchasing contracts does not interfere with the availability or pricing of goods for public institutions, and it prohibits vendors from charging private institutions higher prices than those charged to public institutions. The Department of General Services, in coordination with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, is tasked with creating a straightforward enrollment process for eligible institutions without imposing participation fees. The bill also protects against retaliation from vendors against private institutions that choose to participate in these purchasing contracts. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.