Legislation sponsored by Senator Steven Oroho (R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) that would enable local entities to acquire goods and services using electronic bidding passed the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

“In this day and age, electronic procurement is a must in helping local governments conduct bidding in the most efficient manner possible, thereby saving money and valuable resources,” said Oroho. “This is an idea that’s really past due.”

Senator Oroho’s bipartisan legislation, S-1599, would authorize local units of government that are subject to the “Local Public Contracts Law” and the “Public School Contracts Law” to use electronic procurement technologies.

Under current law, many State departments, including the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA,) already accept electronic bids.

“This bill will empower all of New Jersey’s employers by giving everyone a more open process to compete for public contracts,” Oroho said. “By making the bidding process more transparent and convenient, we can lower the cost and increase competition.”