ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN'S AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 618

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 13, 2024

      The Assembly Community Development and Women's Affairs Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 618.

      This bill allows a contracting unit under the “Local Public Contracts Law,” P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-1 et seq.), to designate its municipal finance officer, county finance officer, or county purchasing official to serve as a purchasing agent only if the person is a certified municipal finance officer, a certified county finance officer, or a certified county purchasing official; and the person will perform the actual day to day work of a purchasing agent.

      The bill also provides that two years of work experience is required for certification as a qualified purchasing agent, which must be performed under the direct supervision of a purchasing agent.  In the case of a certified municipal finance officer, certified county finance officer, or certified county purchasing official, the person is required to have two years of full-time governmental experience performing duties relative to those of public procurement. Additionally, the bill specifies the content and length of the courses an individual must complete to earn a qualified purchasing agent certificate.

     Under the Local Public Contracts Law, a contracting unit that designates a holder of a qualified purchasing agent certificate as its purchasing agent may award contracts without public advertising at a higher threshold amount than a contracting unit that designates as its purchasing agent a person who does not hold a qualified purchasing agent certificate.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.