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House panel approves bill to let counties use RFQ process for ambulance contracts
Summary
The committee approved legislation from Representative Bart Schultz to allow counties to use a qualifications-based (RFQ) process—now used for professional services—for ambulance service contracts instead of awarding strictly to the lowest bidder.
Representative Bart Schultz, District 28, told the committee he was sponsoring a bill to let counties use a qualifications-based selection process for ambulance services, rather than awarding contracts strictly to the lowest bidder.
Schultz said the change would allow counties to evaluate providers on qualifications the same way they do for engineering, architectural and other professional services. "All I'm proposing with this bill is we change ambulance services over to the same RFQ process as all these professional entities," he said.
The bill would add ambulance services to the list of services procured through a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) ranking system, in which counties rank the top three responders, negotiate with the top-ranked firm and move down the list only if negotiations fail. Representative Baker asked how the RFQ procedure differs from the current procurement process; Schultz explained that the RFQ ranks respondents and negotiates with the top-ranked firms rather than automatically awarding to the lowest bidder.
There were no public witnesses in opposition or support who addressed the committee after questions. Representative Ladyman moved adoption of the measure and the committee approved it on a voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
The bill’s sponsor closed by asking for a "good vote." The committee’s voice vote produced no recorded no votes and the chair announced the bill had passed.
