FISCAL NOTE

Senate Bill 60 as passed the Senate further expands (1) current exemption to the state’s public works laws by allowing an exemption for the purchase of heating and air conditioning (HVAC) units or systems from an Alabama vendor as part of a purchasing cooperative and meeting certain additional requirements to apply to all governmental entities rather than local governing bodies and (2) provides the current exemption from bidding for the purchase of HVAC systems does not extend to installation of those systems. This could increase or decrease the price paid for the units or systems by an unknown amount dependent upon the price the entities could have obtained under the state’s public works program and the price paid for the unit or systems that are a part of a purchasing cooperative; however, the purchase price under the purchasing cooperative must be equal to or less than that available through the state purchasing program.