The Florida Senate

287.042  Powers, duties, and functions.--The department shall have the following powers, duties, and functions:

(1)(a)  To canvass all sources of supply, establish and maintain a vendor list, and contract for the purchase, lease, or acquisition in any manner, including purchase by installment sales or lease-purchase contracts which may provide for the payment of interest on unpaid portions of the purchase price, of all commodities and contractual services required by any agency under competitive bidding or by contractual negotiation. Any contract providing for deferred payments and the payment of interest shall be subject to specific rules adopted by the department.

(b)  The department may remove from its vendor list any source of supply which fails to fulfill any of its duties specified in a contract with the state. It may reinstate any such source of supply when it is satisfied that further instances of default will not occur.

(c)  In order to promote cost-effective procurement of commodities and contractual services, the department or an agency may enter into contracts that limit the liability of a vendor consistent with s. 672.719.

(d)  The department shall issue commodity numbers for all products of the corporation operating the correctional industry program which meet or exceed department specifications.

(e)  The department shall, beginning October 1, 1991, include the products offered by the corporation on any listing prepared by the department which lists term contracts executed by the department. The products or services shall be placed on such list in a category based upon specification criteria developed through a joint effort of the department and the corporation and approved by the department.

(f)  The corporation may submit products and services to the department for testing, analysis, and review relating to the quality and cost comparability. If, after review and testing, the department approves of the products and services, the department shall give written notice thereof to the corporation. The corporation shall pay a reasonable fee charged for testing its products by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(g)  The department may collect fees for the use of its electronic information services. The fees may be imposed on an individual transaction basis or as a fixed subscription for a designated period of time. At a minimum, the fees shall be determined in an amount sufficient to cover the department's projected costs of such services, including overhead in accordance with the policies of the Department of Management Services for computing its administrative assessment. All fees collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be deposited in the Grants and Donations Trust Fund for disbursement as provided by law.

(2)(a)  To plan and coordinate purchases in volume and to negotiate and execute purchasing agreements and contracts for commodities and contractual services under which state agencies shall make purchases pursuant to s. 287.056, and under which a federal, county, municipality, institutions qualified pursuant to s. 240.605, private nonprofit community transportation coordinator designated pursuant to chapter 427, while conducting business related solely to the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, or other local public agency may make purchases. The department may restrict purchases from some term contracts to state agencies only for those term contracts where the inclusion of other governmental entities will have an adverse effect on competition or to those federal facilities located in this state. In such planning or purchasing the Office of Supplier Diversity may monitor to ensure that opportunities are afforded for contracting with minority business enterprises. The department, for state term contracts, and all agencies, for multiyear contractual services or term contracts, shall explore reasonable and economical means to utilize certified minority business enterprises. Purchases by any county, municipality, private nonprofit community transportation coordinator designated pursuant to chapter 427, while conducting business related solely to the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged, or other local public agency under the provisions in the state purchasing contracts, and purchases, from the corporation operating the correctional work programs, of products or services that are subject to paragraph (1)(f), are exempt from the competitive sealed bid requirements otherwise applying to their purchases.

(b)  As an alternative to any provision in s. 120.57(3)(c), the department may proceed with the bid solicitation or contract award process of a term contract bid when the secretary of the department or his or her designee sets forth in writing particular facts and circumstances which demonstrate that the delay incident to staying the bid process or contract award process would be detrimental to the interests of the state. After the award of a contract resulting from a bid in which a timely protest was received and in which the state did not prevail, the contract may be canceled and reawarded to the prevailing party.

(c)  Any person who files an action protesting a decision or intended decision pertaining to contracts administered by the department, a water management district, or a state agency pursuant to s. 120.57(3)(b) shall post with the department, the water management district, or the state agency at the time of filing the formal written protest a bond payable to the department, the water management district, or state agency in an amount equal to 1 percent of the department's, the water management district's, or the state agency's estimate of the total volume of the contract or $5,000, whichever is less, which bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all costs which may be adjudged against him or her in the administrative hearing in which the action is brought and in any subsequent appellate court proceeding. For protests of decisions or intended decisions of the department pertaining to agencies' requests for approval of exceptional purchases, the bond shall be in an amount equal to 1 percent of the requesting agency's estimate of the contract amount for the exceptional purchase requested or $5,000, whichever is less. In lieu of a bond, the department, the water management district, or state agency may, in either case, accept a cashier's check or money order in the amount of the bond. If, after completion of the administrative hearing process and any appellate court proceedings, the water management district or agency prevails, it shall recover all costs and charges which shall be included in the final order or judgment, excluding attorney's fees. This section shall not apply to protests filed by the Office of Supplier Diversity. Upon payment of such costs and charges by the person protesting the award, the bond, cashier's check, or money order shall be returned to him or her. If the person protesting the award prevails, he or she shall recover from the agency or water management district, all costs and charges which shall be included in the final order of judgment, excluding attorney's fees.

(d)  The terms, conditions, and specifications of a request for proposal, request for quote, invitation to bid, or invitation to negotiate, including any provisions governing the methods for ranking proposals, awarding contracts, reserving rights of further negotiation, or the modification of amendment of any contract, are subject to challenge only by filing a protest within 72 hours after the notice of the terms, conditions, or specifications as provided in s. 120.57(3)(b).

(3)  To have general supervision, through the state agencies, of all storerooms and stores operated by the agencies and to have supervision of inventories of all commodities belonging to the state agencies. The duties imposed by this section do not relieve any state agency from accountability for commodities under its control.

(4)  To establish a system of coordinated, uniform procurement policies, procedures, and practices to be used by agencies in acquiring commodities and contractual services, which shall include, but not be limited to:

(a)  Development of a list of interested vendors to be maintained by classes of commodities and contractual services. This list shall not be used to prequalify vendors or to exclude any interested vendor from bidding.

(b)  Development of procedures for the releasing of requests for proposals, requests for quotes, invitations to bid, invitations to negotiate, and other competitive acquisitions which procedures shall include, but are not limited to, notice by publication in the Florida Administrative Weekly, on Government Services Direct, or by mail at least 10 days before the date set for submittal of proposals or bids. The Office of Supplier Diversity may consult with agencies regarding the development of bid distribution procedures to ensure that maximum distribution is afforded to certified minority business enterprises as defined in s. 288.703.

(c)  Development of procedures for the receipt and opening of bids, responses, quotes, or proposals by an agency. Such procedures shall provide the Office of Supplier Diversity an opportunity to monitor and ensure that the contract award is consistent with the requirements of s. 287.09451.

(d)  Development of procedures to be used by an agency in deciding to contract, including, but not limited to, identifying and assessing in writing project needs and requirements, availability of agency employees, budgetary constraints or availability, facility equipment availability, current and projected agency workload capabilities, and the ability of any other state agency to perform the services.

(e)  Development of procedures to be used by an agency in maintaining a contract file for each contract which shall include, but not be limited to, all pertinent information relating to the contract during the preparatory stages, a copy of the invitation to bid or request for proposals, documentation relating to the bid process, opening of bids, evaluation and tabulation of bids, and determination and notice of award of contract.

(f)  Development of procedures to be used by an agency for issuing invitations to bid, invitations to negotiate, requests for proposal, requests for quote, or other competitive procurement processes.

(5)(a)  To prescribe the methods of securing competitive sealed bids, responses, quotes, and proposals. Such methods may include, but are not limited to, procedures for identifying vendors; setting qualifications; evaluating responses, bids, and proposals; ranking respondents and proposers; selecting invitees and proposers; and conducting negotiations.

(b)  To prescribe, in consultation with the State Technology Office, procedures for procuring information technology and information technology consultant services which provide for public announcement and qualification, competitive selection, competitive negotiation, contract award, and prohibition against contingent fees. Such procedures shall be limited to information technology consultant contracts for which the total project costs, or planning or study activities, are estimated to exceed the threshold amount provided for in s. 287.017, for CATEGORY TWO.

(6)  To prescribe specific commodities and quantities to be purchased locally.

(7)(a)  To govern the purchase by any agency of any commodity or contractual service and to establish standards and specifications for any commodity.

(b)  Except for the purchase of insurance, the department may delegate to agencies the authority for the contracting for, or the purchase, lease, or acquisition of, commodities or contractual services.

(8)  To establish definitions and classes of commodities and contractual services. Agencies shall follow the definitions and classes of commodities and contractual services established by the department in acquiring or purchasing commodities or contractual services. The authority of the department under this section shall not be construed to impair or interfere with the determination by state agencies of their need for, or their use of, services including particular specifications.

(9)  To furnish copies of any commodity and contractual service purchasing rules to the Comptroller and all agencies affected thereby. The Comptroller shall not approve any account or direct any payment of any account for the purchase of any commodity or the procurement of any contractual service covered by a purchasing or contractual service rule except as authorized therein. The department shall furnish copies of rules adopted by the department to any county, municipality, or other local public agency requesting them.

(10)  To require that every agency furnish information relative to its commodity and contractual services purchases and methods of purchasing commodities and contractual services to the department when so requested.

(11)  To prepare statistical data concerning the method of procurement, terms, usage, and disposition of commodities and contractual services by state agencies. All agencies shall furnish such information for this purpose to the office and to the department, as the department or office may call for, but no less frequently than annually, on such forms or in such manner as the department may prescribe.

(12)  To establish and maintain programs for the purpose of disseminating information to government, industry, educational institutions, and the general public concerning policies, procedures, rules, and forms for the procurement of commodities and contractual services.

(13)  Except as otherwise provided herein, to adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including the authority to delegate to any state agency any and all of the responsibility conferred by this section, retaining to the department any and all authority for supervision thereof. Such purchasing of commodities and procurement of contractual services by state agencies shall be in strict accordance with the rules and procedures prescribed by the Department of Management Services.

(14)  If the department determines that it is in the best interest of the state, to award to multiple suppliers contracts for commodities and contractual services established by the department for use by all agencies. Such awards may be on a statewide or regional basis. If regional contracts are established by the department, multiple supplier awards may be based upon multiple awards for regions. Agencies may award contracts to the lowest qualified responsive bidder on a statewide or regional basis.

(15)  To procure and distribute state-owned surplus tangible personal property and federal surplus tangible personal property allocated to the state by the Federal Government.

(16)(a)  To enter into joint agreements with governmental agencies, as defined in s. 163.3164(10), for the purpose of pooling funds for the purchase of commodities or information technology that can be used by multiple agencies. However, the department shall consult with the State Technology Office on joint agreements that involve the purchase of information technology. Agencies entering into joint purchasing agreements with the department or the State Technology Office shall authorize the department or the State Technology Office to contract for such purchases on their behalf.

(b)  Each agency that has been appropriated or has existing funds for such purchases, shall, upon contract award by the department, transfer their portion of the funds into the department's Grants and Donations Trust Fund for payment by the department. These funds shall be transferred by the Executive Office of the Governor pursuant to the agency budget amendment request provisions in chapter 216.

(c)  Agencies that sign such joint agreements are financially obligated for their portion of the agreed-upon funds. If any agency becomes more than 90 days delinquent in paying such funds, the Department of Management Services shall certify to the Comptroller the amount due, and the Comptroller shall transfer the amount due to the Grants and Donations Trust Fund of the department from any of the agency's available funds. The Comptroller shall report all such transfers and the reasons for such transfers to the Executive Office of the Governor and the legislative appropriations committees.

(17)(a)  To evaluate contracts let by the Federal Government, another state, or a political subdivision for the provision of commodities and contract services, and, when it is determined to be cost-effective and in the best interest of the state, to enter into a written agreement authorizing a state agency to make purchases under a contract approved by the department and let by the Federal Government, another state, or a political subdivision.

(b)  For contracts pertaining to the provision of information technology, the State Technology Office, in consultation with the department, shall assess the technological needs of a particular agency, evaluate the contracts, and determine whether to enter into a written agreement with the letting federal, state, or political subdivision body to provide information technology for a particular agency.

History.--s. 22, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 70-150; s. 1, ch. 79-92; s. 3, ch. 80-374; s. 179, ch. 81-259; ss. 4, 8, ch. 82-196; s. 2, ch. 83-99; s. 2, ch. 83-192; s. 135, ch. 83-217; s. 1, ch. 84-6; s. 1, ch. 85-2; ss. 21, 32, ch. 85-104; s. 7, ch. 88-384; s. 10, ch. 89-291; s. 11, ch. 90-136; s. 14, ch. 90-268; s. 36, ch. 90-302; s. 5, ch. 91-162; s. 1, ch. 91-298; s. 16, ch. 92-98; s. 108, ch. 92-142; ss. 81, 128, ch. 92-152; s. 249, ch. 92-279; s. 55, ch. 92-326; s. 9, ch. 94-322; s. 867, ch. 95-148; s. 2, ch. 95-216; s. 4, ch. 95-396; s. 4, ch. 96-236; s. 61, ch. 96-410; s. 37, ch. 97-100; s. 35, ch. 97-286; s. 20, ch. 97-296; s. 78, ch. 98-279; s. 44, ch. 99-399; s. 8, ch. 2000-133; s. 32, ch. 2000-164; s. 10, ch. 2000-286; s. 54, ch. 2001-61; s. 3, ch. 2001-278.