An Act To Implement Recommendations of the Study Commission Regarding Liveable Wages Concerning the State Contracting Process
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1825-B, sub-§12 is enacted to read:
12. Rulemaking; livable wages.
State departments and agencies may not achieve cost savings due to cost differentials that derive from a bidder's failure to provide livable wages to its employees. The State Purchasing Agent shall adopt rules governing the purchase of services and the awarding of grants or contracts for personal services to establish a basis for bid price and cost comparison among businesses that provide livable wages to their employees and those that do not provide livable wages. The rules must include a method for calculating bid price and cost differentials for services provided by businesses due to the provision of livable wages for employees. The rules must provide for adjustment of bid prices to establish an equivalent basis for bid price and cost comparison among businesses when awarding contracts. These rules must apply to all state departments and agencies. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill is a recommendation of the Study Commission Regarding Liveable Wages established in Resolve 2005, chapter 128. The bill requires the State Purchasing Agent to adopt rules for awarding contracts to provide for adjustment of bid prices to take into account the wages paid by bidding employers.