68-11-1203 - Cost savings authorized. - Tennessee Statutes

68-11-1203. Cost savings authorized.

(a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, public bodies may make purchases under or through the auspices of a group purchasing program that has not submitted a formal bid, but has made available to the public body a price quote on the goods or services proposed for purchase by the public body and which quote may be considered and accepted by the public body as the submission of a formal bid as a part of the process of the otherwise applicable competitive bidding process; provided, that:

     (1)  The price quote of the group purchasing program is competitive and represents the lowest and best bid for the goods or services sought to be purchased under the competitive bidding process;

     (2)  The group purchasing program certifies to the governing board of the public body that it uses equivalent competitive procedures to obtain quotes or contracts for goods or services sought to be purchased by the public body, so as to obtain the lowest and best bid available to the group purchasing program for the goods or services to be made available for purchase by the public body or other participants in the group purchasing program; and

     (3)  The governing board of the public body has determined that participation in the group purchasing program is in the best interest of the public, such determination to be made at a meeting of the governing board of the public body no less frequently than annually upon a submission of a summary report by management of the public body showing the purchases made through one (1) or more group purchasing programs over a specific period of time covered by the summary report.

(b)  The provisions of this part shall be construed as authority supplemental to purchasing authority provided under any other public or private act, and in the event of conflict between this part and any other public or private act, then this part shall prevail to the extent of any conflict.

[Acts 1990, ch. 1079, § 3.]