SB416:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase of personal protective equipment.

Bill Summary:

Virginia Public Procurement Act; purchase of personal protective equipment. Requires a state agency, whenever purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) for public use, to ensure such PPE comply with all applicable federal and international certifications. The bill provides that if a state agency receives three or more bids (i) from a Virginia-based company or manufacturer or a manufacturer that uses materials or components made in Virginia or the United States or (ii) from a United States-based manufacturer that uses materials or components made in the United States, the agency may only select among those bids. The bill also provides that if a state agency is unable to purchase PPE from such company or manufacturer, it may purchase from another company or manufacturer, pending the results of independent laboratory testing of the PPE. The bill directs the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to establish a work group to make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding products other than PPE that may be necessary if a state of emergency is declared in Virginia and that state agencies should purchase with the same requirements and to report the recommendations of the work group to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology by September 1, 2022.