(a) Upon request of the chief administrative officer of a state agency and subject to the approval of the secretary of administration, the director of purchases may convene a procurement negotiating committee to obtain services or technical products for the state agency.

(b) Each procurement negotiating committee shall be composed of: (1) The director of purchases, or a person designated by the director; (2) the chief administrative officer of the state agency desiring to make the procurement, or a person designated by the officer; and (3) the secretary of administration, or a person designated by the secretary or, if a procurement involves information technology or services, the executive chief information technology officer or a person designated by the executive chief information technology officer.

(c) The negotiating committee is authorized to negotiate for the procuring state agency contracts with qualified parties to provide services or technical products needed by the state agency.

(d) Prior to negotiating for the procurement, a notice to bidders first shall be published in the Kansas register. Upon receipt of bids or proposals, the committee may negotiate with one or more of the firms or certified businesses submitting bids or proposals and select from among those submitting such bids or proposals the party to contract with to provide the services or technical products. In selecting the party to contract with to provide services or technical products under this section, the committee shall consider whether such party is:

(1) A certified business or purchased goods or services from a qualified vendor on the list certified by the director of purchases pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3317 et seq., and amendments thereto; or

(2) a disabled veteran business:

(A) Doing business as a Kansas firm, corporation or individual; or

(B) maintaining offices or places of business in Kansas.

(e) Contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 75-3738 through 75-3740a, and amendments thereto. Meetings to conduct negotiations pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 75-4317 through 75-4320a, and amendments thereto. The director of purchases shall submit a report at least once in each calendar quarter to the legislative coordinating council and the chairpersons of the senate committee on ways and means and the house of representatives committee on appropriations of all contracts entered into pursuant to this section. In the event that the negotiating committee selects a bid which is not the lowest bid on a given contract, the directors report shall contain a rationale explaining why the lowest bidder was not awarded the contract.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring either negotiations pursuant to this section or bids pursuant to Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3739, and amendments thereto, for the procurement of professional services or services for which, in the judgment of the director of purchases, meaningful specifications cannot be determined.

(g) As used in this section:

(1) “Certified business” shall mean the same as in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3740, and amendments thereto;

(2) “disabled veteran” shall mean the same as in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3740, and amendments thereto; and

(3) “disabled veteran business” shall mean the same as in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-3740, and amendments thereto.