Senate Committee Advances Procurement Protection Act

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Retirement and Government Resources Committee gave approval Tuesday to Senate Bill 997, which creates the Procurement Protection Act. The measure by Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, prohibits state-owned enterprises of foreign adversaries, companies domiciled within foreign adversaries, and federally banned corporations from bidding on state or municipal contracts.

“Senate Bill 997 is critical for protecting the procurement process from entities with ties to foreign adversaries or organizations that are considered a threat to the national security of the United States,” Frix said. “This legislation strengthens our ability to safeguard the state’s interests while upholding fairness and integrity in our public bidding system.”

Under the provisions of SB 997, companies submitting bids must certify they are not associated with any foreign adversary. If the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) determines that a corporation has provided false certification, the company could face penalties including a $250,000 civil penalty, termination of the contract, and a five-year prohibition on future bids.

Senate Bill 997 is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

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For more information, contact: Sen. Avery Frix at 405-521-5533, or email Avery.Frix@oksenate.gov.