(a) The Department of Administrative Services, in consultation with the State Contracting Standards Board, shall establish and maintain a single electronic portal available on the Internet and located on the Department of Administrative Services' web site for purposes of posting all contracting opportunities with state agencies in the executive branch, the constituent units of the state system of higher education and quasi-public agencies. Such electronic portal shall be known as the State Contracting Portal.

(b) The State Contracting Portal shall, among other things, include: (1) All requests for bids or proposals, and other solicitations regardless of the method of source selection, related materials and all resulting contracts and agreements by state agencies; (2) a searchable database for locating information; (3) personal services agreements and purchase of service agreements; (4) a state procurement and contract manual or other similar information designated by the Department of Administrative Services as describing approved contracting processes and procedures; and (5) prominent features to encourage the active recruitment and participation of small businesses and women and minority-owned enterprises in the state contracting process.

(c) All state agencies in the executive branch, the constituent units of the state system of higher education and quasi-public agencies shall post all bids, requests for proposals and all resulting contracts and agreements on the State Contracting Portal and shall, with the assistance of the Department of Administrative Services as needed, develop the infrastructure and capability to electronically communicate with the State Contracting Portal.

(d) All state agencies in the executive branch, the constituent units of the state system of higher education and quasi-public agencies shall develop written policies and procedures to ensure that information is posted to the State Contracting Portal in a timely, complete and accurate manner consistent with the highest legal and ethical standards of state government.

(e) The Department of Administrative Services shall periodically report to the Governor and the State Contracting Standards Board on the progress of all state agencies in the executive branch, the constituent units of the state system higher education and quasi-public agencies, in developing the capacity, infrastructure, policies and procedures to electronically communicate with the State Contracting Portal and the Department of Administrative Services' progress toward establishment and maintenance of the State Contracting Portal.

(Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1, S. 13; P.A. 11-51, S. 86.)

History: Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-1 effective January 1, 2009; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsec. (c) to delete reference to Department of Information Technology, effective July 1, 2011.