Counties; authorize to participate in a group purchasing program operated by the Mississippi Association of Supervisors.

Added explicit authorization for counties to participate in group purchasing programs operated by the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, exempting such purchases from competitive bidding requirements.

Updated bidding thresholds and procedures, including adding reverse auctions as the primary method for receiving bids and clarifying electronic bid submission requirements.

Modified the emergency purchase procedures to include health and safety considerations and expanded the scope of emergency purchases to include COVID-19 related technology needs.

Added restrictions on construction punch lists to limit them to one preliminary and one final list to prevent scope creep in construction projects.

Added insurance requirements for public construction contracts requiring coverage of at least one million dollars, allowing bidders to submit proof of coverage or demonstrate ability to obtain it.

Added new exemptions for purchases related to museum exhibits, disaster cleanup services, minority business set-asides, and specific IT and energy efficiency purchases.

Added new definitions for minority business categories including Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American to support minority business set-aside provisions.