The following bills have been introduced in the 2012 Maryland General Assembly, and have a primary focus on procurement. These bills have varying chances at passage and subsequent signing into law by the Governor. If you have any questions about the impact of these bills upon your business, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

HB 217/SB315 - Council for the Procurement of Health, Educational, and Social Services

House: Health and Government Operations (Heard: February 2, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (Hearing: February 23, 2012, 1:30 p.m.)

Synopsis: Establishing the Council for the Procurement of Health, Educational, and Social Services; providing for the composition, chair, and staffing of the Council; requiring the Council to advise the Board of Public Works on the Task Force Report to the Governor and the General Assembly on Procurement of Health, Education and Social Services by State Agencies and make specified recommendations for the procurement process for health, educational, and social services; etc.

HB 425/SB551 - Procurement - Required Disclosure - Conflict Minerals Originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

House: Health and Government Operations (Heard: February 15, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (Hearing: February 23, 2012, 1:30 p.m.)

Synopsis: Prohibiting a unit of State government from procuring supplies or services from persons that fail to disclose in a specified manner as required by federal law specified information relating to conflict minerals that originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its neighboring countries; defining terms; requiring a unit of State government to provide notice of the prohibition in any solicitation for supplies or services; etc.

HB 440/SB235 - Procurement - Investment Activities in Iran

House: Health and Government Operations (Heard: February 16, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (Heard: February 16, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Synopsis: Requiring the Board of Public Works, on or before January 1, 2013, to use credible and publicly available information to create a list of persons that engage in investment activities in Iran; requiring the Board to update the list every 90 days; requiring the Board, before adding a person to the list, to provide the person with written notice that meets specified requirements; prohibiting the Board from adding a person to the list under specified circumstances; etc.

HB576/SB358 - Public-Private Partnerships

House: Environmental Matters & Appropriations (Hearing: February 24, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Senate: Budget and Taxation (Hearing: March 7, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Synopsis: Establishing the policy of the State on public-private partnerships; altering provisions of law relating to public-private partnerships; authorizing a reporting agency to establish a public-private partnership and execute a partnership agreement in connection with specified functions, services, or assets; requiring a reporting agency to adopt regulations and establish processes for the development, screening, solicitation, evaluation, award, and delivery of public- private partnerships; etc.

HB 865/SB659 - State Procurement - Disclosure of the Relocation of Jobs to a Foreign Country

House: Health and Government Operations (Hearing: February 29, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (Hearing: February 23, 2012, 1:30 p.m.)

Synopsis: Requiring a prospective bidder or offeror to disclose specified information to the Department of General Services concerning plans to relocate jobs to a foreign country when submitting a bid or an offer to a unit of State government; requiring a contractor to notify the Department of specified job relocations within a specified time period; prohibiting a specified contractor from receiving specified incentives and benefits from the State under specified circumstances; etc.

HB 1192 - Prevailing Wages - Debarment or Suspension Process and Penalty

House: Economic Matters (Hearing: March 21, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Synopsis: Requiring a contractor or subcontractor to be suspended or debarred if the contractor or subcontractor willfully violates specified requirements concerning prevailing wage rates; specifying the time period for the debarment or suspension; providing that a contractor or subcontractor who unintentionally violates specified requirements concerning prevailing wage rates is allowed the opportunity to remedy the violation; authorizing the Attorney General to seek a penalty from contractors or subcontractors; etc.

HB 1196 - Participation in Procurement - Conflict of Interest - Exemption

House: Health and Government Operations (Hearing: February 29, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Synopsis: Authorizing units of State government to solicit written comments relating to specifications for State procurement of health, human, social, or educational services before issuing requests for proposals; authorizing a person that submits written comments relating to a procurement to submit a proposal for the procurement under specified circumstances; etc.

HB 1205 - Procurement - Service Contracts - Delineation of Costs by Categories

House: Health and Government Operations (Hearing: March 7, 2012, 1:00 p.m.)

Synopsis: Requiring the Board of Public Works, in consultation with the Department of General Services, to adopt regulations to require that a bidder or offeror responding to a solicitation for a service contract delineate its costs by specified categories; repealing an exception; etc.

HB 1286 - Procurement - Noncompetitive Negotiation - Repeal of Limitations

House: House Rules and Executive Nominations (First Reading - No Hearing Scheduled)

Synopsis: Expanding the authorized use of noncompetitive negotiation by specifically including the procurement of health services, repealing the limitation on the types of individuals receiving specified services, and repealing a requirement for approval by the Department of Budget and Management before noncompetitive negotiation for a specified class of procurement may be used; etc.

SB 432 - Procurement - Maryland Buy American Steel and Manufactured Goods Act

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (Hearing: February 23, 2012, 1:30 p.m.)

Synopsis: Altering the Maryland Buy American Steel Act to include American manufactured goods; requiring a public body to require contractors and subcontractors use or supply only American manufactured goods for procurements, as specified; defining a term; providing for the application of the Act; requiring a public body to give a specified notice; requiring the Board of Public Works to adopt specified regulations regarding the granting of a preference for the use of American manufactured goods; etc.

SB 913 - State Procurement - Rejection of Bids and Proposals - Businesses Located Outside the State

Senate: Education Health and Environmental Affairs (First Reading - No Hearing Scheduled)

Synopsis: Requiring a unit of State government, under specified circumstances, to reject a bid or proposal if the bidder or offeror is located outside the State or if the goods or services required to be provided under the contract would be provided by a subcontractor located outside the State; and applying the Act to procurements that would otherwise be excluded from the State procurement law under a specified provision of law.