Bill > SB2670

This bill, known as the "Higher Education Purchasing Act," aims to allow eligible private colleges and universities in Tennessee to access the same discounted pricing on goods and services that public institutions currently enjoy through state cooperative purchasing contracts, which are master agreements administered by the state's department of general services or other procurement authorities. The act establishes that these private institutions must be accredited, located in Tennessee, and authorized to operate by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Participation is voluntary and does not obligate the state financially, nor does it reduce the availability or increase the price of goods for public institutions, and vendors are prohibited from charging private institutions higher prices or retaliating against them for participating. The Department of General Services, in coordination with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, will create a simple enrollment process without charging any fees, and vendors are forbidden from refusing to sell to or altering pricing for participating private institutions, with violations considered unfair trade practices.