2002 Minnesota Code
Chapters 16A - 16E Administration and Finance
Chapter 16B Department of Administration
Section 16B.181 Purchases from corrections industries.

16B.181 Purchases from corrections industries.

Subdivision 1. Definitions. As used in this section:

(1) "public entity" or "public entities" includes the state and an agency, department, or institution of the state, any governmental unit as defined in section 471.59, the state legislative and judicial branches, and state colleges and universities; and

(2) "items" includes articles, products, supplies, and services.

Subd. 2. Public entities; purchases from corrections industries. (a) The commissioner of corrections, in consultation with the commissioner of administration, shall prepare updated lists of the items available for purchase from department of corrections industries and annually forward a copy of the most recent list to all public entities within the state. A public entity that is supported in whole or in part with funds from the state treasury may purchase items directly from corrections industries. The bid solicitation process is not required for these purchases.

(b) The commissioner of administration shall develop a contract or contracts to enable public entities to purchase items directly from corrections industries. The commissioner of administration, in consultation with the commissioner of corrections, shall determine the fair market price for listed items. The commissioner of administration shall require that all requests for bids or proposals, for items provided by corrections industries, be forwarded to the commissioner of corrections to enable corrections industries to submit bids. The commissioner of corrections shall consult with the commissioner of administration prior to introducing new products to the state agency market.

(c) No public entity may evade the intent of this section by adopting slight variations in specifications, when Minnesota corrections industry items meet the reasonable needs and specifications of the public entity.

(d) The commissioners of administration and corrections shall develop annual performance measures outlining goals to maximize inmate work program participation. The commissioners of administration and corrections shall appoint cochairs for a task force whose purpose is to determine additional methods to achieve the performance goals for public entity purchasing. The task force shall include representatives from the Minnesota house of representatives, Minnesota senate, the Minnesota state colleges and universities, University of Minnesota, Minnesota League of Cities, Minnesota Association of Counties, and administrators with purchasing responsibilities from the Minnesota state departments of corrections, public safety, finance, transportation, natural resources, human services, health, and economic security. Notwithstanding section 15.059, the task force created in this paragraph expires on June 30, 2003.

(e) If performance goals for public entity purchasing are not achieved in two consecutive fiscal years, public entities shall purchase items available from corrections industries. The commissioner of administration shall be responsible for notifying public entities of this requirement.

HIST: 1995 c 226 art 5 s 1; 1996 c 408 art 8 s 1; 1998 c 386 art 1 s 2; 2001 c 161 s 4; 2001 c 210 s 1; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 114