§1825-L. State purchasing code of conduct

1.  Statement of belief; protection of local interests.  The affidavit provided by the State Purchasing Agent to bidders for contracts to provide goods covered by this subchapter must include a copy of the following statement:

"Maine is a state that believes employers should fairly compensate hard work, that the health and safety of working people should be protected and that no form of unlawful discrimination or abuse should be tolerated. Maine citizens are aware that laws and regulations designed to safeguard basic tenets of ethical business practice are disregarded in many workplaces, commonly referred to as "sweatshops." State Government purchase of goods made under abusive conditions on behalf of its citizens offends Maine citizens' sense of justice and decency. Moreover, when the State of Maine contracts with vendors whose suppliers profit by providing substandard wages and working conditions, Maine's businesses are put at a competitive disadvantage. Therefore, the State of Maine believes in doing business with vendors who make a good faith effort to ensure that they and their suppliers at the point of assembly adhere to the principles of the State of Maine's purchasing code of conduct.

"In its role as a market participant that procures goods covered by this code, the State of Maine seeks to protect the interests of Maine citizens and businesses by exercising its state sovereignty to spend Maine citizens' tax dollars in a manner consistent with their expressed wishes that the State deal with responsible bidders who seek contracts to supply goods to the State of Maine, and protect legally compliant Maine businesses and workers from unfair competition created by downward pressure on prices and conditions attributable to businesses that violate applicable workplace laws.

"Seeking to protect these local interests through the least discriminatory means available, the State of Maine requires that all bidders seeking contracts to supply the State of Maine with goods covered by this code sign an affidavit stating that they and, to the best of their knowledge, their suppliers at the point of assembly comply with workplace laws of the vendor's or supplier's site of assembly and with treaty obligations that are shared by the United States and the country in which the goods are assembled."

[PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. NNNN, §1 (NEW).]

2.  Employment and business conduct; requirements.  With respect to goods covered by this subchapter, a company contracting with the State to supply those goods shall adopt and adhere to employment and business practices in accordance with this subsection. A company shall:

A. Comply with all applicable wage, health, labor, environmental and safety laws, legal guarantees of freedom of association, building and fire codes and laws relating to discrimination in hiring, promotion or compensation on the basis of race, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or affiliation with any political, nongovernmental or civic group except when federal law precludes the State from attaching the procurement conditions provided in this subchapter.   [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. NNNN, §1 (NEW).]

B. Comply with all human and labor rights treaty obligations that are shared by the United States and the country in which the goods are assembled. These may include obligations with regard to forced labor, indentured labor, slave labor, child labor, involuntary prison labor, physical and sexual abuse and freedom of association.   [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. NNNN, §1 (NEW).]

[PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. NNNN, §1 (NEW).]

3.  Consequences of noncompliance with purchasing code of conduct.

[PL 2005, c. 554, Pt. A, §2 (RP).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2001, c. 439, §NNNN1 (NEW). PL 2005, c. 554, §A2 (AMD).