The bill amends and reenacts section 5A-3-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, to exempt the Secretary of State from the competitive bidding process for specific purchases related to critical election infrastructure. This includes items such as voter registration systems, voting systems, electronic pollbooks, and election results reporting systems, which are deemed essential for maintaining the integrity of elections. The bill also clarifies that the provisions of the Purchasing Division do not apply to various state entities, including the judicial branch, the West Virginia State Police, and the State Board of Education for certain educational materials.

In addition to the new exemptions for the Secretary of State, the bill removes previous exclusions from the Purchasing Division's provisions, ensuring that all spending units of state government are subject to the same procurement rules, with the specified exceptions. This aims to enhance the consistency and integrity of procurement practices across state agencies while allowing for necessary flexibility in critical areas such as election infrastructure.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 5A-3-1
Committee Substitute: 5A-3-1