Vermont H 244: An act relating to award requirements for building communities grants in fiscal years 2020 and 2021

Bill Text

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H.244
Introduced by Representatives Rachelson of Burlington and Waters Evans of
Charlotte
Referred to Committee on
Date:
Subject: Public property and supplies; Department of Buildings and General
Services; contracting; advertising; media; news organizations; radio;
television
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that
the State expend a minimum of 80 percent of the total annual value of its
contracting for print, digital, radio, and television advertising services on local
organizations.
An act relating to State contracting standards for advertising
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Sec. 1. 29 V.S.A. § 902(a) is amended to read:
(a) The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall contract for
and make all purchases, including all fuel, supplies, materials, and equipment,
for all departments, offices, institutions, and other agencies of the State and
counties. However, he or she the Commissioner may delegate authority to
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those governmental agencies to purchase directly individually approved types
and classes of items when the interests of the State are best served thereby,
provided that any such delegated authority shall be subject to the same
limitations set forth in subsections 910(a)–(c) of this subchapter as apply to the
Commissioner. He or she The Commissioner shall also contract for and
purchase materials for the repair and for the construction and equipment of
new buildings to be erected by the State, unless otherwise provided. He or she
The Commissioner may purchase such supplies, materials, and equipment as
are requisitioned by the supervisors of the natural resources conservation
districts. He or she The Commissioner may also cooperate with and advise
officials of any political subdivision of the State or any institution of higher
education chartered in Vermont and accredited or holding a certificate of
approval from the State Board of Education in their purchase of any of the
supplies, materials, and equipment needed by the political subdivision or
institution of higher education, and may act as the agent of the political
subdivision at the request of the authorized officials or agent thereof in the
purchase of supplies, materials, and equipment.
Sec. 2. 29 V.S.A. § 910 is added to read:
§ 910. STATE CONTRACTS FOR ADVERTISING
(a) When contracting for print or digital advertising services for the State
or its agencies, departments, instrumentalities, or institutions, the
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Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall contract with local
news organizations for not less than 80 percent of the total annual value of the
print or digital advertising services.
(b) When contracting for radio or television advertising services for the
State or its agencies, departments, instrumentalities, or institutions, the
Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall contract with local
broadcast organizations for not less than 80 percent of the total annual value of
the radio or television advertising services.
(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the
Commissioner of Buildings and General Services may exclude from the total
annual value of advertising services any advertisement focused on tourism.
(d) The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services shall maintain a
list of local news organizations and local broadcast organizations.
(e) As used in this section:
(1) “Local broadcast organization” means an organization licensed to
broadcast in the State by the Federal Communications Commission.
(2) “Local news organization” means an organization that:
(A) engages professionals to create, edit, produce, and distribute
original content concerning matters of public interest through reporting
activities;
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(B) employs a full-time employee who dedicates at least 30 hours a
week to providing coverage of an area of the State for dissemination to the
local or State community and lives within 50 miles of the coverage area;
(C)(i) has published at least one print publication per month over the
previous 12 months and either holds a valid U. S. Postal Service periodical
permit or dedicates at least 25 percent of its content to local news; or
(ii) on average over the previous 12 months, has published online
at least one piece per week about the local or State community and has at least
33 percent of its online audience in Vermont;
(D) has disclosed in its print publication or on its website its
beneficial ownership or, in the case of a nonprofit entity, its board of directors;
(E) in the case of an organization that is exempt from taxation under
26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3),