Committee advances bill to allow counties to seek alternative purchase-card providers beyond Bank of America

Senator Reinhart told the Senate Committee on Retirement and Government Resources that Senate Bill 900 would allow counties to solicit purchase-card partnerships beyond the current single-provider arrangement. "We are trying to maybe provide them more options for this service, and potentially utilize some Oklahoma banking partnerships," Reinhart said during the hearing.

The sponsor said the bill would not mandate broader use of purchase cards but would give counties already using the cards the option to seek other vendors. Reinhart explained she had discussed the idea with OMES and the state auditor and said she was striking the bill’s title to continue vetting oversight and compliance concerns.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on how current statute and procurement are structured, why Bank of America has been the only provider, and whether expanding vendor options would complicate fraud detection. Several senators said they worried that multiple, decentralized procurements could reduce transparency and make spotting improper use more difficult. Senator Stewart said he was concerned about “hidden” spending and asked whether the change would make fraud more difficult to detect. Reinhart responded that the sponsor and OMES would work together to avoid creating multiple weak RFP processes and that she would coordinate with the state auditor as the language is refined.

Members asked whether the bill would expand purchase-card eligibility to other political subdivisions; Reinhart said the intent was not to expand use but to provide choices for counties that already use the program. The committee discussed whether OMES should remain the central manager of the procurement and whether the purchasing contract history should be reviewed; the sponsor said OMES is involved in the purchasing division that administers the current program.

After debate, the committee voted 8-0 to pass SB 900 out of committee. The sponsor committed to work with OMES and the state auditor to tighten oversight provisions before the bill would come before the floor. The clerk announced the roll call and the chair declared the bill passed by the committee.

Committee members asked the sponsor to provide precise statutory citations and to verify references to the relevant title and section cited in the draft. Reinhart said she would verify references and ensure the language would not jeopardize oversight or compliance before returning the bill to the floor.