HB 1394 Summary

• Prohibits executive, legislative, ministerial, and judicial officers from awarding contracts, approving claims, or voting to enter into contracts with any business entity in which they have a significant pecuniary interest.

• Prohibits public agencies from requiring materials from a single or sole source as a component of public construction contracts; bid specifications must allow for acceptable equivalent products instead of proprietary goods.

• Requires all public agencies to obtain approval from the State Construction Administrator of the Construction and Properties Division of Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services before requiring use of sole-source materials, except when necessary to accompany pre-existing construction or meet warranty requirements.

• Requires all requests for exemptions to use sole-source materials to be posted on the data.ok.gov transparency portal, including descriptions of the project, reasons for the request, and approval or denial decisions.

• The act is known as the "Modernization of Public Contracting and Ethics Act of 2013" and becomes effective November 1, 2013.