Alabama. Division of Purchases and Stores.

Sources:

Alabama Government Manual, 1982.

Alabama Management Improvement Program, Final Report, 1989.

The Division of Purchases and Stores is a division of the Department of Finance (see Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended-Title 41-4-110). The functions and duties of this division are to make and supervise the execution of all contracts and purchase orders for the purchase of commodities and services required by the state or any department, except as otherwise provided by law. The Division of Purchases and Stores, after more than forty years of not performing a stores function, still has Stores in its official title. Stores is a function of the Division of Services, Department of Finance. Before the creation of the Dept. of Finance in 1939, purchasing was performed by the Purchasing Dept. of the State Board of Control and Economy from 1919-1923 (Ala. Acts 47, pp. 43-49 [1975]), and by the Purchasing Dept. of the State Board of Administration from 1923-1939 (Ala. Acts 457, p. 629 [1975]).

State agencies and departments are required to use Purchasing for procurement of commodities and services unless specifically exempted by statute. Purchasing is a high-profile division within state government and communicates with all nonexempt state departments and agencies, their divisions, and more than 16,000 outside vendors. All records of purchases are open and accessible to the public during regular office hours. Any purchase of commodities of $2,000 or more requires a formal bid process (Code of Alabama, 1975, as amended Title 41-16-20) which includes a sealed bid and public bid opening.

The Purchasing Agent heads the Division, which purchases all personal property, except as otherwise provided; makes and supervises contracts and leases, unless otherwise provided; distributes furniture, fixtures, supplies, and other personal property and maintains a storeroom; keeps a perpetual inventory of property on hand; fixes standards to develop specifications for all personal property; maintains records of prices and sources of supply; controls printing, binding, and distribution of printing material; requires county governments to report on personal property purchases, except printing, and contracts and leases over one hundred dollars, and when requested by a local government or public body, makes purchases, contracts, or leases for it; contracts to the lowest bidder for stationary, paper, printing, binding, distribution, fuel, and repairing and furnishing legislative rooms; and keeps applications for purchases.