A.  A political subdivision may lease, rent, or purchase telecommunications or data processing systems, including equipment, and related services, through a request for proposals which shall conform to the following requirements:

(1)  Specifications for the telecommunications or data processing systems equipment and related services shall be prepared in advance and shall designate the specific class or classes of equipment desired and may include all features associated with such class or classes of equipment.  The specifications may also include requirements for the maintenance of the equipment if desired.

(2)  If a lease-purchase contract for a telecommunications or data processing system is contemplated, the specifications shall require that the proposal contain the following:

(a)  The principal amount of any proposed lease.

(b)  The interest rate factor to be computed in the lease payments.

(c)  The right of the lessee to purchase the equipment at the termination of payments for such equipment as set forth in the lease-purchase contract for a sum not to exceed one dollar.

(3)  Any equipment lease-purchase contract entered into pursuant to this Part shall contain an annual appropriation dependence requirement to the effect that the renewal and continuation of such contract is contingent on the appropriation of funds to fulfill the requirements of the contract.  If the political subdivision, after a diligent and good-faith effort, fails to appropriate sufficient monies to provide for payments under the contract, the obligation to make payments under the contract shall terminate in accordance with the terms of the contract on the last day of the last fiscal year for which funds were appropriated, provided the equipment is returned to the lessor or his agent as provided in the equipment lease-purchase contract, and such contract shall not be a long-term debt of the local political subdivision.  In addition, in the equipment lease-purchase contract, the lessor shall covenant and agree to indemnify and hold the lessee harmless against any loss, damage, liability, cost, penalty or expense, including attorneys’ fees, which is not otherwise agreed to by lessee in the equipment lease-purchase contract and which is incurred and arises upon a failure of the political subdivision to appropriate funds in the manner described herein for a continuation of the contract or exercise of the option to purchase the equipment.

(4)  Any telecommunications or data processing equipment lease-purchase contract entered into pursuant to this Part shall be treated as a lease for all legal purposes without regard to the rights and obligations of the lessee at lease termination or to any interest factor payment, and without necessity of filing a chattel mortgage.  The lessor shall be deemed owner of the equipment during the term of the lease.  In addition, the equipment shall be deemed to be movable property for all purposes and shall not become a component part of any immovable property, notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, including but not limited to Civil Code Articles 465, 466, 467, 493.1, or 495.

(5)  All lease-purchase contracts entered into pursuant to this Part shall provide that whatever interests, claims and rights, including warranties of the equipment, which the lessor may have against the selected vendor of the equipment which is the subject of such lease-purchase contract, shall be assigned to the lessee, and the lessee shall have full right to pursue any and all remedies available to the lessor for breach of any warranty against the vendor.  In addition, the lease-purchase contract shall provide that the lessor shall join the lessee as a party plaintiff in any cause, if required under state law, for successful pursuit of such action.  Upon termination of the lease-purchase contract, unless the option to purchase is exercised, all such interests, claims, and rights assigned to the lessee under this Section shall revert to the lessor.  In addition, the lease-purchase contract shall provide that lessee has no right to alienate or encumber the equipment during the term of the lease.

(6)  Public notice of the request for proposals shall be given at least thirty days prior to the date scheduled for opening the request for proposals.  In addition, written notice of the request for proposals shall be mailed to persons, firms, or corporations who are known to be in a position to furnish such equipment, systems, and related services.  This public notice may also be given by electronic media available to the general public.

(7)  The request for proposals will indicate the relative importance of price and other evaluation factors, shall clearly define the tasks to be performed under the contract, the functional specifications, the criteria to be used in evaluating the proposals and the time frames within which the work must be completed.

(8)  An award shall be made to the responsible offerer whose proposal is determined in writing by the governing authority of the political subdivision to be the most advantageous, taking into consideration price and other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals.  No other basis of evaluation shall be used except those set out in the request for proposals.

(9)  The governing authority of the political subdivision may reject all proposals when it is deemed that such action is in the best interest of such political subdivision.

(10)  Where written proposals are submitted by vendors, the proposals of the successful vendor shall be incorporated into the final contract consummated with that vendor.

B.  Political subdivisions may, at their option, procure telecommunications and data processing equipment, systems, or related services in accordance with the provisions of any other applicable law which governs such acquisitions or purchases by political subdivisions of the state, including but not limited to La. Rev. Stat. 38:2211 et seq., with respect to awarding of public contracts.  However, in the event an invitation for bids is used in lieu of a request for proposals, written notice of that fact shall be given to all bidders and such notice shall also state that the request for proposals procedure will not be applicable.

Acts 1988, No. 523, §1; Acts 1992, No. 486, §1; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 120, §1.