A. The Department shall be exempt from any provision of Sections 85.1 through 85.45k of this title requiring purchases to be made pursuant to a statewide contract for individual purchases of less than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) when the following conditions are met:

1. The Department documents a cost savings to the state resulting from the purchase of the item(s) from a vendor not on the statewide contract;

2. The exempted purchase is made in the county where the purchasing facility, as identified in subsection B of this section, is located or in an adjacent county; and

3. The exempted purchase is approved by the Executive Director or a designee prior to the purchase.

B. The Commission shall promulgate rules, procedures, and forms necessary to adequately document the dollar savings resulting from the application of this section.

C. The exemption provided for in this section shall apply to individual department entities identified by the annual budget submitted to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

D. The Department shall not be required to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment, and soft goods associated with the decor of the state parks, lodges, golf, and tourism information center facilities from Oklahoma prisons or reformatories.

E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize bid splitting as prohibited by The Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act.

Added by Laws 2005, c. 363, § 45, eff. Nov. 1, 2005. Amended by Laws 2012, c. 304, § 992.