The Senate Commerce Committee agreed unanimously today to introduce legislation re-alphebetizing definitions in Idaho’s state code and rules governing purchasing. “It makes it more user-friendly for everyone to use,” Bill Burns, head of the state Purchasing Division, told the senators. The change arose from a 2013 state performance audit that recommended a series of changes to beef up Idaho’s contract management procedures; it’s just one piece of the response, Burns said. It comes pursuant to a recommendation in the audit for the Division of Purchasing to “work with the Office of Attorney General to review sections of Idaho Administrative Code related to the procurement process,” and to “identify any opportunities to reorganize or clarify existing language that will make it more accessible or user-friendly to the agencies,” Burns said.

The alphabetizing, he said, is to “improve understanding and make it more user-friendly.”

Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said, “It seems a little odd that we would pass a bill to re-alphebetize definitions. However, there needs to be some discussion that strengthens our contract management in the state, and if this is the first step, so be it.” Another step outlined this morning, in the state Department of Administration’s budget hearing, is nearly a quarter-million dollars’ worth of additional training proposed next year for state employees on purchasing procedures.