AB336

The State Purchasing Act governs the purchasing of services, supplies, materials and equipment by agencies of the Executive Department of the State Government, with certain exceptions. (Chapter 333 of NRS) The Act, with certain exceptions, provides for the granting of an advantage, known as a preference, of 5 percent to a bid or proposal submitted for such a state purchasing contract by: (1) a Nevada-based business, which is defined in the Act as a business which certifies that its principal place of business is in Nevada or the majority of goods provided for in the contract are produced in Nevada; or (2) a Nevada-based business that is owned and operated by a veteran with a specified service-connected disability, which is defined in the Act as a “local business owned and operated by a veteran with a service-connected disability.” (NRS 333.3352, 333.3354, 333.3362-333.3366) The Act prohibits the combination of these preferences with each other or any other purchasing preference. (NRS 333.3354, 333.3366) Sections 2 and 3 of this bill eliminate the prohibition against the combination of the preference for a Nevada-based business and the preference for a local business owned and operated by a veteran with a service-connected disability, thereby providing for a combined preference of 10 percent for a bid or proposal for a state purchasing contract submitted by a business that meets the requirements for both of those preferences. The State Purchasing Act imposes an inverse prefere