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Council orders RFP for bill‑tracking services and extends Canfocus subscription six months
Summary
Facing an imminent June 30 contract expiration for its Canfocus bill‑tracking subscription, the LCC directed staff to issue an RFP and approved a six‑month extension of Canfocus (prorated half year), citing the need for competitive procurement while avoiding disruption to users.
The Legislative Coordinating Council voted to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for bill‑tracking services and to extend the incumbent Canfocus subscription for six months while the procurement proceeds.
Kevin Yowell, representing Canfocus, presented usage and feature improvements and offered two renewal options: a one‑year renewal at the current rate or a two‑year renewal with a $10,000 annual discount. "Canfocus was developed for Kansas, in Kansas, by Kansans," Yowell said, highlighting recent additions including a mobile app and a "where are the bills right now" feature.
Several members raised concerns that the renewal notice came too close to the June 30 contract expiration to conduct a meaningful RFP and to allow time for vendor transition and training. Representative Woodard and others supported a temporary extension plus a full RFP to confirm whether Canfocus remains the best fit. A vice‑presidential member suggested a six‑month extension; Yowell said six months would be "half of the one‑year rate" and that Canfocus could accept a six‑month extension.
After debate over one‑year versus six‑month extensions and the timing of procurement relative to the legislative session, the council moved to issue an RFP and extend Canfocus for six months (to allow evaluation and potential transition without disrupting users). The motion passed by voice vote with direction that Altaf Uddin and the new LAS director help develop the RFP.
Next steps: staff will draft and issue the RFP, with the intent of returning proposals to the LCC in time to reach a contracting decision well before the next session; the six‑month extension is to be prorated per the vendor's stated rate.
