Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 19, September 20, 2024
A. Scope. An
emergency procurement shall be limited to the procurement of only the types of
items and quantities of items necessary to avoid or to mitigate serious damage
to public health, safety, and welfare as further defined in COMAR
21.01.02.01B. he
initial term of an emergency contract or any emergency modification awarded
under this regulation shall be limited to a maximum of 365 days. Any renewal
options that are part of an emergency procurement award shall follow the rules
for review and approval of renewal options, including review and approval by a
control agency and the Board of Public Works as required under this
title.
B. Authority.
(1) Any procurement agency may make an
emergency procurement when an emergency arises and the agency's resulting need
cannot be met through normal procurement methods.
(2) The procurement officer may award an
emergency contract or make an emergency contract modification only with the
approval of the agency head or designee.
(3) Except when delaying a procurement by up
to 48 hours would likely result in imminent harm, after obtaining the approval
of the head of the unit and before making an emergency procurement, the
procurement officer shall obtain the approval of the use of emergency
procurement procedures from the Chief Procurement Officer, or the Chief
Procurement Officer's designee. Within 48 hours after receiving a request to
use emergency procurement procedures, the Chief Procurement Officer or designee
shall approve or disapprove the request. If the Chief Procurement Officer or
designee does not approve or disapprove the request to use emergency
procurement procedures within 48 hours after receiving the request, the request
shall be considered to be approved.
C. Source Selection and Contract Award.
(1) The procedure used shall assure that the
required items are procured in time to meet the emergency. Given this
constraint, such competition as is possible and practicable shall be obtained,
including by making reasonable efforts to solicit at least three oral
quotes.
(2) Before awarding an
emergency procurement contract to a prospective contractor, the procurement
officer shall evaluate the contractor's ability to perform the requirements of
the contract based on:
(a) The length of time
the contractor has been in business;
(b) The contractor's level of experience
providing the types and amounts of supplies, services, maintenance,
commodities, information technology, leases, construction, or
construction-related services required under the contract; and
(c) The contractor's history of successful
procurement contracts with the State and other jurisdictions.
(3) The procurement officer shall
execute a written contract with the successful contractor which includes the
terms of the emergency procurement and provisions addressing the contractor's
ability to perform the requirements of the contract within the emergency time
frame.
D. Record and
Review of Emergency Procurement.
(1) Notice of
award shall be published in eMaryland Marketplace by the procurement agency on
the day of execution and approval of the contract, or as soon as practicable
thereafter, but not more than 30 days after the execution and approval of the
contract.
(2) A record of each
emergency procurement shall be made within 7 days of award and shall set forth:
(a) The basis and justification for the
emergency procurement including the date the emergency first became
known;
(b) A listing of supplies,
services, maintenance, commodities, information technology, leases,
construction, or construction-related services procured;
(c) The names of all persons solicited and a
justification if the solicitation was limited to one person;
(d) The prices and times of performance
proposed by the persons responding to the solicitation;
(e) The name of and basis for the selection
of a particular contractor;
(f) The
amount and type of the contract or contract modification;
(g) A listing of any prior or related
emergency contracts, including all contract modifications, executed for
purposes of avoiding or mitigating the particular emergency including the
aggregate costs;
(h) The
identification number, if any, of the contract file;
(i) The documented approval of the agency
head or designee, as required by §B(2) of this regulation; and
(j) The documented approval of the Chief
Procurement Officer or designee when applicable, as required by §B(3) of
this regulation.
(3) An
action agenda item, including the information required by §D(2) of this
regulation, shall be forwarded by the procurement agency to the Board and to
the appropriate control agency within 15 days of emergency contract award or
emergency modification in accordance with COMAR
21.02.01.05A(3)(a).
(4) At the Board's request, the appropriate
control agency shall review emergency procurement action agenda items and
provide recommendations to the Board.
(5) The Board may direct the procurement
agency or the appropriate control agency to take any action the Board deems
appropriate concerning an emergency procurement.
(6) If supplies or commodities procured under
an emergency procurement contract are not delivered and used within 1 month
after the date the contract is awarded, the procuring unit shall:
(a) Prepare a report describing the delivery
and use status of supplies and commodities procured under the contract at least
once per month until all supplies and commodities have been delivered and used;
and
(b) Submit the reports prepared
under §D(6)(a) of this regulation to the Board, the appropriate control
agency, and, in accordance with State Government Article, §
2-1257, Annotated
Code of Maryland, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, the Senate
Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, the House
Appropriations Committee, the House Health and Government Operations Committee,
and the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee.
E. Emergency Procurement Contracts Valued at
$1,000,000 or More.
(1) In advance of or
concurrent with the execution of an emergency procurement contract that is
valued at $1,000,000 or more, a unit may not pay an amount that exceeds
$2,000,000, plus 30 percent of the contract value in excess of
$2,000,000.
(2) Unless authorized
by the Board, the unit may not make any additional payment under the contract
until at least 30 days after the execution of the contract.
(3) Not later than 7 days after awarding an
emergency procurement that is valued at $1,000,000 or more, a unit shall submit
a copy of the contract to the Board with an action agenda item, including the
information required by §D(2) of this regulation, in accordance with COMAR
21.02.01.05A(3)(a).
(4) The Board may review an emergency
procurement contract submitted under §E(3) of this regulation at a
regularly scheduled meeting of the Board or at an emergency meeting called for
that purpose, and direct the unit or the appropriate control agency to take any
action, including canceling or rescinding the contract, that the Board deems
appropriate.
F. State of
Emergency.
(1) When the Governor or the head
of a unit authorizes an emergency procurement during a state of emergency in
order to prepare for or address the state of emergency, the Governor or the
head of the unit shall provide written notice to the Legislative Policy
Committee within 72 hours after the earlier of the execution of the contract or
the expenditure of funds.
(2) The
notice required by §F(1) of this regulation shall include:
(a) The name, business address, and, if
applicable, website address of the awarded vendor;
(b) The dollar value of the
contract;
(c) A description of how
the funds are to be used; and
(d)
An explanation of the reasons the procurement is necessary to prepare for or
address the emergency.
(3) After an emergency procurement contract
is executed in order to prepare for or address the state of emergency:
(a) If requested by the Legislative Policy
Committee, the Governor or head of the unit shall provide a copy of the
contract to the Legislative Policy Committee; and
(b) The Legislative Policy Committee may
request that the Office of Legislative Audits conduct an audit of the emergency
procurement.