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Committee backs measure to broaden local choices for purchase-card services but strikes title for review
Summary
Senate Bill 900 would allow counties to solicit purchase-card partnerships beyond the state contractor; the committee approved the measure after debate and striking the bill's title pending further work with OMES and the state auditor.
The Senate Committee on Retirement and Government Resources advanced Senate Bill 900, a bill the sponsor described as intended to let counties and other political subdivisions solicit purchase-card services from local or regional banks instead of relying on the single statewide contractor.
Senator Reinhardt said the proposal would not force nonparticipating political subdivisions to adopt purchase cards and that the bill will be revised with input from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and the state auditor. "We don't want to do anything that is going to jeopardize oversight or compliance at all," Reinhardt said. "This will not come back before you for signatures and certainly wouldn't be in front of the floor without getting those parties in line and making sure that we're doing this correctly."
Committee members raised concerns about oversight, conflicts of interest and whether expanding purchase-card procurement would increase fragmentation. Several senators asked whether OMES could instead adjust the state contract or whether oversight should move to the state auditor. The sponsor repeatedly said she would work with OMES and the state auditor on guardrails and procurement oversight.
The committee recorded a Due Pass recommendation and a roll call showed 8 ayes and 0 nays. The chair declared the bill to have passed out of committee. Senator Reinhardt said she would continue to consult with OMES and the state auditor before the bill reaches the full Senate.
During discussion senators referenced Bank of America as the current contractor for the state purchase-card program and asked whether statutory citations in the draft (including a reference to "section 85.7") were correct. The sponsor agreed to verify and fix cross-references and to work to prevent unintended proliferation of separate local RFPs and potential conflicts of interest if many local governments issued independent solicitations.
Next steps include additional language work with OMES and the state auditor; the sponsor said she would not bring the bill to the floor until those parties and committee leadership were satisfied with oversight provisions.
