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Sponsor says bill would let private colleges use state purchasing contracts
Summary
Representative Harris said the bill (item 25) would let private higher-education institutions access the same purchasing power and contract prices that public institutions use; members placed the bill on Monday's calendar after brief remarks and a joking amendment suggestion.
Representative Harris described a bill intended to allow private higher-education institutions to access the same state purchasing power and contract pricing as public universities. "So this bill here would allow our, private, higher institutions to be able to access the same purchasing power as our public institutions across the state," Harris said, and gave examples of lower per-unit prices under collective contracts.
Members asked clarifying questions and a colleague offered a lighthearted suggested amendment, asking the sponsor to call it the "10 ply toilet paper act." The committee then placed the bill on Monday's regular calendar by voice vote. No floor debate or committee amendment beyond the joking suggestion was recorded in the transcript.
Representative Harris framed the bill using procurement examples: "Instead of them paying $10 for a a thing of tissue, they paid the same $3 that, University of Tennessee and Tennessee and TSU would be paying," Harris said, describing the cost differential when private institutions buy under collective contracts.
The transcript does not record legal citations or fiscal notes for the bill in committee; the sponsor said the bill would align private institutions with public contracting prices but did not provide an explicit cost estimate in this session.
