Lawmakers on state purchasing: ‘We need to have accountability’
The first bill lawmakers on the Purchasing Laws Interim Committee are examining this morning would require annual reports to the Legislature on high-dollar and high-risk contracts signed by any state agency or officer, and require rule-making that lays out policies and procedures on contract monitoring and oversight.
Committee Co-Chair Rep. Neil Anderson, R-Blackfoot, said of the reports to the Legislature, “What are we going to do with this information? That would be my question.” Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, the other co-chair, said, “We need to have accountability.”
Legislative budget analyst Robyn Lockett said there’s currently legislative intent language in the state Department of Administration’s budget that requires reporting on all contracts over $1 million, and also on contracts that are up for renewal. “That comes monthly from the Department of Administration,” she said. “I share that with the JFAC co-chairs.” Because the reporting requirement is in the legislative intent portion of a budget bill, it applies through the end of the current fiscal year.
The bill the panel is considering would put the reporting requirement in statute; the current draft would require reports to the Legislature on all contracts for more than $500,000, and all “high-risk” contracts, defined as those that are sole-source or not competitively bid; those without a fixed price; multi-year contracts; or contracts that are part of multiple awards.
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, said he wonders if some independent person, outside the individual agencies, should have oversight. Legislative staffer Elizabeth Bowen said House Minority Leader John Rusche is working on legislation to create an office of inspector general, which would have oversight of contracts among other duties, but until that becomes law, it’s not referenced in the current draft legislation.
After much discussion, the committee voted to recommend applying the reporting requirement only to contracts of more than $1.5 million that also meet one of the various criteria for "high risk," including an additional one for contracts involving IT development.
