Sponsored by:
Assemblyman LOUIS D. GREENWALD
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Requires boards of education, municipalities, counties, and certain other local contracting units to determine and utilize cost-saving practices when procuring goods and services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning cooperative purchasing by certain contracting units, amending N.J.S.18A:18A-1 et seq., P.L.1971, c.198, and P.L.1999, c.440, and supplementing chapter 27D of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:18A-2 is amended to read as follows:
18A:18A-2. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates:
a. "Board of education" means and includes the board of education of any local school district, consolidated school district, regional school district, county vocational school and any other board of education or other similar body other than the State Board of Education, the [Commission on] Secretary of Higher Education or the Presidents' Council, established and operating under the provisions of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and having authority to make purchases and to enter into contracts for the provision or performance of goods or services. The term "board of education" also shall include the board of trustees of a charter school established under P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.).
b. "Purchasing agent" means the secretary, business administrator, or the business manager of the board of education duly assigned the authority, responsibility and accountability for the purchasing activity of the board of education and having the power to prepare advertisements, to advertise for and receive bids and to award contracts as permitted by this chapter, but if there [be] is no secretary, business administrator or business manager, such officer, committees or employees to whom such power has been delegated by the board of education.
c. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.440[.])
d. "District" means and includes any local school district, consolidated school district, regional school district, county vocational school and any other board of education or other similar body other than the State board, established under the provisions of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.440[.])
f. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.440[.])
g. "Extraordinary unspecifiable services" means services which are specialized and qualitative in nature requiring expertise, extensive training, and proven reputation in the field of endeavor.
h. "Professional services" means services rendered or performed by a person authorized by law to practice a recognized profession and whose practice is regulated by law and the performance of which services requires knowledge of an advanced type in a field of learning acquired by a prolonged formal course of specialized instruction and study as distinguished from general academic instruction or apprenticeship and training. Professional services may also mean services rendered in the provision or performance of goods or services that are original and creative in character in a recognized field of artistic endeavor.
i. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1999, c.440[.])
j. "Purchases" means transactions, for a valuable consideration, creating or acquiring an interest in goods, services, and property, except real property or any interest therein.
k. "Work" means any task, program, undertaking, or activity, related to any development, redevelopment, construction, or reconstruction performed or provided pursuant to a contract with a board of education.
l. "Aggregate" means the sums expended or to be expended for the provision or performance of any goods or services in connection with the same immediate purpose or task, or the furnishing of similar goods or services, during the same contract year through a contract awarded by a purchasing agent.
m. "Bid threshold" means the dollar amount set in N.J.S.18A:18A-3, above which a board of education shall advertise for and receive sealed bids in accordance with procedures set forth in N.J.S.18A:18A-1 et seq.
n. "Contract" means any agreement, including but not limited to a purchase order or a formal agreement, which is a legally binding relationship enforceable by law, between a vendor who agrees to provide or perform goods or services and a board of education which agrees to compensate a vendor, as defined by and subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement. A contract also may include an arrangement whereby a vendor compensates a board of education for the vendor's right to perform a service, such as, but not limited to, operating a concession.
o. "Contract year" means the period of 12 consecutive months following the award of a contract.
p. "Competitive contracting" means the method described in sections 45 through 49 of P.L.1999, c.440 (C.18A:18A-4.1 through C.18A:18A-4.5) of contracting for specialized goods and services in which formal proposals are solicited from vendors; formal proposals are evaluated by the purchasing agent or counsel or school business administrator; and the board of education awards a contract to a vendor or vendors from among the formal proposals received.
q. "Goods and services" or "goods or services" means any work, labor, commodities, equipment, materials, or supplies of any tangible or intangible nature, except real property or any interest therein, provided or performed through a contract awarded by a purchasing agent, including goods and property subject to N.J.S.12A:2-101 et seq.
r. "Library and educational goods and services" means textbooks, copyrighted materials, student produced publications, and services incidental thereto, including