Global Trade Alert

On May 26, 2015 the Alabama state legislature approved a bill (H.B.264) providing local preferences in government procurement. The bill amends existing law (Section 41-16-50, Code of Alabama 1975) to authorize a county or municipality to award a competitive bid to a responsible bidder having a place of business within a local preference zone if that bid is no more than 5% greater than the bid of the lowest responsible bidder, and if the lowest bid was made by a business entity that does not have a place of business in the state. The preference rises to 10% if the responsible bidder is also a woman-owned enterprise, and enterprise of small business, a minority-owned business enterprise, a veteran-owned business enterprise, or a disadvantaged-owned business enterprise.