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House Approves Permissive Reverse‑auction Option for State Procurement
Summary
HB 245 authorizes a permissive reverse-auction mechanism for state procurement to allow online bidding where suppliers underbid one another; supporters cited an example where a reverse auction saved millions on road salt purchases in another state; bill passed 67–0.
Speaker Stevens and the sponsor described House Bill 245 as a permissive change to the procurement code allowing the state (or local contracting entities) to use online reverse auctions when procuring goods or services. Under the model, prospective vendors see competing bids and can undercut prices iteratively, producing lower final prices than sealed-bid processes in some examples.
Supporters cited an out-of-state example in which reverse auctions saved a state several million dollars when purchasing road salt; representatives with municipal procurement experience described meaningful cost savings in practice. Opponents did not press for defeat on the floor during this session and several members spoke in support on grounds of taxpayer savings.
The House passed HB 245 unanimously in the recorded tally (67–0); the bill was referred to the Senate for further consideration.
