Public purchasing; increase threshold for bidding and revise certain provisions related to exemptions and reverse auctions.

Increased the threshold for purchases that do not require competitive bidding from $5,000 to $10,000, allowing agencies to make smaller purchases without advertising or requesting competitive bids.

Added new requirements for reverse auctions to differentiate between state agencies (requiring Public Procurement Review Board approval if not in best interest) and governing authorities (requiring governing board approval if not in best interest).

Added new section authorizing counties to participate in group purchasing programs through the Mississippi Association of Supervisors for supplies, commodities, and equipment.

Added new requirements for solid waste contracts over $75,000 to use a request for proposals process rather than traditional bidding, with provisions for counties with 35,000-40,000 population to contract with neighboring counties' landfills.

Added new minority set-aside authorization allowing agencies to set aside up to 20% of anticipated annual expenditures for purchases from minority businesses.

Added new fuel management system bidding procedure requiring negotiations with at least two sellers before contracting for fuel management or fuel access systems.

Added new construction punch list restriction limiting architects and engineers to one preliminary and one final punch list for public construction projects.

Added new requirement for state institutions of higher learning to allow contracts for privately financed construction of auxiliary facilities to be awarded based on best value rather than lowest bid.

Added new requirement for bidders on public construction contracts requiring insurance coverage of at least $1 million to submit proof of current coverage or demonstrate ability to obtain coverage within five business days of bid acceptance.

Created new exemptions for purchases including vehicles for the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol, disaster cleanup services through a preferred vendor list, interstate transit vehicle purchases approved by the Federal Transit Administration, and museum exhibit purchases.

Increased the competitive purchasing threshold for certain county purchases from $2,000 to $5,000 in Section 31-7-103.

Updated definitions in Section 31-3-1 to reflect new thresholds for fire protection systems contracts, changing from $5,000 to $10,000 for public projects and from $10,000 to $15,000 for private projects.

Added new penalty provision for submitting split invoices to circumvent competitive bidding requirements, punishable by fines of $500-$1,000, up to 30 days in county jail, or both.

Extended term contract authorization to allow contracts for commodities, equipment, and public construction to be let for periods of up to 60 months in advance, with ratification requirements for contracts exceeding 24 months.