Capitol News

A bill pushed by Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) to increase accountability and provide more transparency to the state procurement process passed through the Michigan House Feb. 18 with majority support, according to Michigan House Republicans.

House Bill 4831 will continue its journey for approval by moving to the Senate for consideration. The bill is intended to provide more oversight to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB), which drafts contracts and makes purchasing decisions for state government agencies. 

"We need to make sure there's proper oversight and transparency in the procurement process to make sure state government is spending responsibly and within its means," Lightner said in a GOP House press release. "This is about respecting Michigan taxpayers and making sure the department charged with overseeing purchasing decisions of state government has the means to effectively do so."  

The bill was initially pushed due to the revelation, during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, that state agencies were moving on contracts without input from DTMB, which could potentially lead to long-term contracts that may not be good for the state.