An Act to Remove Restrictions That Prohibit School Administrative
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0817
Sponsors: MITCHELL, PIERCE
Amends: 5 MRSA §1743-A, 5 MRSA §1811

Legislative Document
No. 817
H.P. 524
House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Remove Restrictions That Prohibit School Administrative 
Units from Making Purchases Through Cooperatives
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 27, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MITCHELL of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland and
Representatives: BRENNAN of Portland, GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, KUHN of Falmouth, 
MURPHY of Scarborough.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §1743-A, first ¶, as amended by PL 2011, c. 691, Pt. B, §11, is 
further amended to read:
Any contract for the construction, major alteration or repair of school buildings 
involving a total cost in excess of $250,000, except contracts for professional, architectural 
and engineering services, contracts for the purchase, repair or alteration of any nonbuilding 
real property, including, but not limited to, an athletic field, and contracts for energy 
conservation services in accordance with Title 20‑A, section 15915, must be awarded by 
competitive bids. The school district directors, school committee, building committee or 
whatever agency has responsibility for the construction, major alteration or repair shall, 
after consultation with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, seek sealed 
proposals. Sealed proposals must be addressed to the responsible agency and must remain 
sealed until publicly opened in the presence of the responsible agency or a committee of 
the responsible agency at such time as the responsible agency may direct. Competitive bids 
may be waived in individual cases involving unusual circumstances with the written 
approval of the Director of the Bureau of General Services and the Commissioner of 
Education.
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §1811, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. T, §8, is further 
amended to read:
8.  Cooperative purchasing.  To permit any political subdivision or school 
administrative district unit in the State or nonprofit free health care clinic that provides free 
primary or preventative services to make purchases of foodstuffs, materials, equipment and 
supplies through the Bureau of General Services, subject to such procedures, rules and 
regulations as may be prescribed by the director. This subsection applies to a municipality 
notwithstanding any provision in its municipal charter to the contrary and to a school 
administrative unit for the purpose of the purchase, repair or alteration of any nonbuilding 
real property, including, but not limited to, an athletic field;
SUMMARY
This bill amends the provisions of law related to competitive bids and cooperative 
purchases made through the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau 
of General Services to allow school administrative units to participate in cooperative 
purchasing for the purpose of the purchase, repair or alteration of nonbuilding real property, 
including, but not limited to, an athletic field.