ATLANTA – State Representative Mark Newton (R-Augusta) today announced that the Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 995 on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. HB 995 was sponsored by Rep. Newton and would provide for greater vendor transparency and strengthen competition for government procurements.
“I feel strongly that state and local government contracting should be competitive, open and transparent to ensure that Georgia taxpayers are getting the best service at the best price,” said Rep. Newton.
House Bill 995 would require consultants to disclose any conflicts of interest when assisting government entities with the bidding and negotiation process.
“I’ve introduced this bill to ensure that any consultant or firm hired specifically to help governments prepare a bid should be required, at the very least, to disclose any financial relationships with any of the bidders and to avoid conflicts of interest,” said Rep. Newton. “Public trust and confidence in government contracting is vital and must be carefully guarded whenever government, at any level, spends taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars. Truly competitive, open and transparent processes will help ensure that our communities receive the best services at the best price and benefit all Georgia taxpayers statewide.”
After receiving unanimous passage in the House, HB 995 will now go to the Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate, HB 995 would require the governor’s signature in order to take effect.
For more information on HB 995, please click here.
Representative Mark Newton represents the citizens of District 123, which includes portions of Columbia and Richmond counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Health & Human Services, Small Business Development and Transportation committees.
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