30 ILCS 500/5-5

(30 ILCS 500/5-5)

Sec. 5-5. Procurement Policy Board.

(a) Creation. There is created a Procurement Policy Board, an agency of the State of Illinois.

(b) Authority and duties. The Board shall have the authority and responsibility to review, comment upon, and recommend, consistent with this Code, rules and practices governing the procurement, management, control, and disposal of supplies, services, professional or artistic services, construction, and real property and capital improvement leases procured by the State. The Board shall also have the authority to recommend a program for professional development and provide opportunities for training in procurement practices and policies to chief procurement officers and their staffs in order to ensure that all procurement is conducted in an efficient, professional, and appropriately transparent manner.

Upon a three-fifths vote of its members, the Board may review a contract. Upon a three-fifths vote of its members, the Board may propose procurement rules for consideration by chief procurement officers. These proposals shall be published in each volume of the Procurement Bulletin. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Board shall act upon the vote of a majority of its members who have been appointed and are serving.

(b-5) Reviews, studies, and hearings. The Board may review, study, and hold public hearings concerning the implementation and administration of this Code. Each chief procurement officer, State purchasing officer, procurement compliance monitor, and State agency shall cooperate with the Board, provide information to the Board, and be responsive to the Board in the Board's conduct of its reviews, studies, and hearings.

(c) Members. The Board shall consist of 5 members appointed one each by the 4 legislative leaders and the Governor. Each member shall have demonstrated sufficient business or professional experience in the area of procurement to perform the functions of the Board. No member may be a member of the General Assembly.

(d) Terms. Of the initial appointees, the Governor shall designate one member, as Chairman, to serve a one-year term, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall each appoint one member to serve 3-year terms, and the Minority Leader of the House and the Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one member to serve 2-year terms. Subsequent terms shall be 4 years. Members may be reappointed for succeeding terms.

(e) Reimbursement. Members shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for any expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their duties.

(f) Staff support. Upon a three-fifths vote of its members, the Board may employ an executive director. Subject to appropriation, the Board also may employ a reasonable and necessary number of staff persons.

(g) Meetings. Meetings of the Board may be conducted telephonically, electronically, or through the use of other telecommunications. Written minutes of such meetings shall be created and available for public inspection and copying.

(h) Procurement recommendations. Upon a three-fifths vote of its members, the Board may review a proposal, bid, or contract and issue a recommendation to void a contract or reject a proposal or bid based on any violation of this Code or the existence of a conflict of interest as described in subsections (b) and (d) of Section 50-35. A chief procurement officer or State purchasing officer shall notify the Board if an alleged conflict of interest or violation of the Code is identified, discovered, or reasonably suspected to exist. Any person or entity may notify the Board of an alleged conflict of interest or violation of the Code. A recommendation of the Board shall be delivered to the appropriate chief procurement officer and Executive Ethics Commission within 7 calendar days and must be published in the next volume of the Procurement Bulletin. In the event that an alleged conflict of interest or violation of the Code that was not originally disclosed with the bid, offer, or proposal is identified and filed with the Board, the Board shall provide written notice of the alleged conflict of interest or violation to the bidder, offeror, potential contractor, contractor, or subcontractor on that contract. If the alleged conflict of interest or violation is by the subcontractor, written notice shall also be provided to the bidder, offeror, potential contractor, or contractor. The bidder, offeror, potential contractor, contractor, or subcontractor shall have 15 calendar days to provide a written response to the notice, and a hearing before the Board on the alleged conflict of interest or violation shall be held upon request by the bidder, offeror, potential contractor, contractor, or subcontractor. The requested hearing date and time shall be determined by the Board, but in no event shall the hearing occur later than 15 calendar days after the date of the request.

(i) After providing notice and a hearing as required by subsection (h), the Board shall refer any alleged violations of this Code to the Executive Inspector General in addition to or instead of issuing a recommendation to void a contract.

(j) Response. Each State agency shall respond promptly in writing to all inquiries and comments of the Procurement Policy Board.

(Source: P.A. 100-43, eff. 8-9-17.)