The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Alabama establishes competitive bid exemptions for cooperative purchasing agreements and updates public contract requirements
Last action · March 19, 2026: Pending Committee Action in Second HouseSponsor: Donnie Chesteen
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 75 amends the Code of Alabama 1975 to exempt certain purchases made through s from standard competitive bidding requirements, while establishing that participating public contracts must comply with applicable state or local competitive bid laws.
Local governments and school systems gain the ability to purchase goods and services through approved national or regional cooperatives without running separate bidding processes, provided specific pricing and Alabama vendor preferences are met.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
County and municipal governments
Local governments are granted exemptions to utilize cooperative purchasing agreements for goods and services under specified conditions.
County and city boards of education
School boards are subject to updated competitive bidding exemptions and requirements regarding cooperative purchases and instructional materials.
Alabama vendors
Local vendors holding Alabama business licenses are given priority for cooperative purchases, provided they exist and participate.
Department of Examiners of Public Accounts
The department is tasked with approving competitive bid processes utilized by cooperative purchasing programs.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all cooperative purchasing agreements automatically exempt from competitive bidding?
What are the legal consequences of violating public contract bidding requirements?
What reporting requirements apply to vendors under cooperative purchasing agreements?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
14 actions- Mar 19, 2026HouseCommitteePending Committee Action in Second House
- Mar 19, 2026HouseIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government
- Mar 17, 2026SenateEngrossed
- Mar 17, 2026SenateFloorMotion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 906
- Mar 17, 2026SenateElliott motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 905
- Mar 17, 2026SenateElliott 1st Amendment Offered
Show 8 earlier actions
- Mar 17, 2026SenateChesteen motion to Table - Adopted Voice Vote
- Mar 17, 2026SenateEducation Policy 1st Amendment Offered
- Mar 17, 2026SenateThird Reading in House of Origin
- Feb 5, 2026SenateRead for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
- Feb 4, 2026SenateCommitteeReported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Feb 4, 2026SenateEducation Policy 1st Amendment
- Jan 13, 2026SenateCommitteePending Committee Action in House of Origin
- Jan 13, 2026SenateIntroducedRead for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Voting Record
Third Reading in House of Origin
Total
34
- Yes
- 29
- No
- 1
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 4
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (34)
10 more members
Show 2 earlier roll calls
Elliott motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 905
Total
34
- Yes
- 30
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 4
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (34)
10 more members
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 906
Total
34
- Yes
- 30
- No
- 0
- Present
- 0
- Not voting
- 4
- Abstain
- 0
How they voted (34)
10 more members
Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Cooperative Purchasing Oversight
The bill codifies specific oversight requirements by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts for cooperative purchasing programs used by local governments and school boards.
Connected Entities
Sources
alison.legislature.state.al.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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