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Committee sends House Bill 301 on state procurement reforms to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation
Summary
Representative Raybould described HB 301 as a package to tighten timelines and information requirements in the state procurement and budget submission processes.
Representative Bridal Raybould presented House Bill 301, a package of changes to Idaho’s state procurement procedures and to the information agencies must supply in budget submissions.
Raybould said the bill grew from agency budget reviews that revealed insufficient scoping or market information for large line-item requests. The draft requires agencies to include market-based estimates for line items over $250,000, obtained through a request for information (RFI) or request for quote (RFQ). It also asks agencies to prepare a completed RFP draft alongside the budget submission so solicitations can proceed without lengthy post-appropriation delays.
On procurement timelines the sponsor told the committee: for new appropriated items, the Division of Purchasing must post an intent to solicit within 10 days of the appropriation becoming law; for other solicitations the intent must be published one month before posting. The bill sets standard windows for solicitations: bidders generally have up to 60 days to respond, administrators have 60 days to review with a potential 30-day extension (with notice), and awards should be issued within five days after the review period. Renewals would have earlier notice (18 months prior) and new solicitations must be by July 1 where applicable. The sponsor said CMS or other third-party review timelines would be appended where required.
Raybould said the changes are designed to provide “greater certainty, consistency and transparency” for agencies, vendors and legislators. The bill would also clarify provisions on multiple awards, a cooling-off period for elected officials and state employees, and reporting of vendor-paid expenses.
Representative Mickelson moved to send HB 301 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
Implementation: The sponsor told members the bill’s implementation date would be July 1, 2026, to give agencies time to adjust. He said emergency provisions are included to accommodate post-September requests that arise after budget submissions.
