1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to state government; authorizing the 
  1.3             cooperative purchase of goods; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2002, section 16C.03, by adding a subdivision.
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 16C.03, is 
  1.7   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 18.  [COOPERATIVE PURCHASE OF GOODS.] (a) In 
  1.9   determining best value, the commissioner may seek to combine 
  1.10  purchases across multiple units of government to achieve volume 
  1.11  discounts.  When consistent with section 16C.06, subdivision 4, 
  1.12  the commissioner shall expand the choices available to agencies 
  1.13  by recognizing contracts bid to purchasing alliances or 
  1.14  cooperatives established as a national association of states or 
  1.15  municipalities for the acquisition of goods.  To be eligible for 
  1.16  such multiple award contracts, the cooperative's or 
  1.17  association's acquisition methods must comply with the 
  1.18  requirements of this chapter and sections 16B.121 to 16B.126 and 
  1.19  363A.36. 
  1.20     (b) Contracts under this section may not include any items, 
  1.21  as defined under section 16B.181, subdivision 1, clause (2), 
  1.22  included within the lists of items available for purchase from 
  1.23  the Department of Corrections industries prepared by the 
  1.24  commissioner of corrections under section 16B.181, subdivision 
  1.25  2, paragraph (a).