125.05 Competitive selection.

Except as provided in division (E) of this section, no state agency shall purchase any supplies or services except as provided in divisions (A) to (C) of this section.

(A) Subject to division (D) of this section, a state agency may, without competitive selection, make any purchase of services that cost fifty thousand dollars or less or any purchase of supplies that cost twenty-five thousand dollars or less. The agency may make the purchase directly or may make the purchase from or through the department of administrative services, whichever the agency determines. The department shall establish written procedures to assist state agencies when they make direct purchases. If the agency makes the purchase directly, it shall make the purchase by a term contract whenever possible.

(B) Subject to division (D) of this section, a state agency wanting to purchase services that cost more than fifty thousand dollars or supplies that cost more than twenty-five thousand dollars shall, unless otherwise authorized by law, make the purchase from or through the department. The department shall make the purchase by competitive selection under section 125.07 of the Revised Code. If the director of administrative services determines that it is not possible or not advantageous to the state for the department to make the purchase, the department shall grant the agency a release and permit under section 125.06 of the Revised Code to make the purchase. Section 127.16 of the Revised Code does not apply to purchases the department makes under this section.

(C) An agency that has been granted a release and permit to make a purchase may make the purchase without competitive selection if after making the purchase the cumulative purchase threshold as computed under division (F) of section 127.16 of the Revised Code would:

(1) Be exceeded and the controlling board approves the purchase;

(2) Not be exceeded and the department of administrative services approves the purchase.

(D) Not later than January 31, 1997, the amounts specified in divisions (A) and (B) of this section and, not later than the thirty-first day of January of each second year thereafter, any amounts computed by adjustments made under this division, shall be increased or decreased by the average percentage increase or decrease in the consumer price index prepared by the United States bureau of labor statistics (U.S. City Average for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers: “All Items 1982-1984=100”) for the twenty-four calendar month period prior to the immediately preceding first day of January over the immediately preceding twenty-four calendar month period, as reported by the bureau. The director of administrative services shall make this determination and adjust the appropriate amounts accordingly.

(E) If the eTech Ohio commission, the department of education, or the Ohio education computer network determines that it can purchase software services or supplies for specified school districts at a price less than the price for which the districts could purchase the same software services or supplies for themselves, the commission, department, or network shall certify that fact to the department of administrative services and, acting as an agent for the specified school districts, shall make that purchase without following the provisions in divisions (A) to (D) of this section.

Effective Date: 09-28-1999; 07-01-2005