purchasing

Mississippi Resident Bidder Preference

Revised September 10, 2020

Title 19: Counties and County Officers
Chapter 13: Contracts, Claims and transaction of Business with Counties
Section 19-13-111: Bids and contracts to be definite.

All bids and contracts for stationery, blank books, office supplies and other things must be specific in stating the kinds or brands and qualities of all articles, as far as practicable; the weight per ream and material of all paper; the price per quire and the weight per ream of books and record books, with the style of binding and size of each kind of book duly classified; and, other things being equal, the several boards shall give the preference to those bids which are most specific as to the price and quality of the various articles. In case bids are in all respects equal between resident and nonresident bidders, the board of supervisors shall give preference to citizens of this state.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 3: State Board of Public Contractors
Section 31-3-21: Bidding and awards.

(3) In the letting of public contracts preference shall be given to resident contractors, and a nonresident bidder domiciled in a state having laws granting preference to local contractors shall be awarded Mississippi public contracts only on the same basis as the nonresident bidder’s state awards contracts to Mississippi contractors bidding under similar circumstances; and resident contractors actually domiciled in Mississippi, be they corporate, individuals, or partnerships, are to be granted preference over nonresidents in awarding of contracts in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the laws of the state of domicile of the nonresident. When a nonresident contractor submits a bid for a public project, he shall attach thereto a copy of his resident state’s current preference law, if any, pertaining to such state’s treatment of nonresident contractors. Any bid submitted by a nonresident contractor which does not include the nonresident contractor’s current state law shall be rejected and not considered for award. As used in this section, the term “resident contractors” includes a nonresident person, firm or corporation that has been qualified to do business in this state and has maintained a permanent full-time office in the State of Mississippi for two (2) years prior to submission of the bid and the subsidiaries and affiliates of such a person, firm or corporation. Any public agency awarding a contract shall promptly report to the Department of Revenue the following information:

• (a) The amount of the contract.
• (b) The name and address of the contractor reviewing the contract.
• (c) The name and location of the project.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 5: Public Works Contracts
Section 31-5-17: Resident labor used on public works.

Every public officer, contractor, superintendent, or agent engaged in or in charge of the construction of any state or public building or public work of any kind for the State of Mississippi or for any board, city commission, governmental agency, or municipality of the State of Mississippi shall employ only workmen and laborers who have actually resided in Mississippi for two (2) years next preceding such employment.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 5: Public Works Contracts
Section 31-5-19: Procedure if resident labor not available.

In the event workmen or laborers qualified under the provisions of Section 31-5-17 are not available, then the contractor, officer, superintendent, agent, or person in charge of such work shall notify in writing the mayor of the city in which said work is being done, the president of the board of supervisors of the county in which said work is being done, the Governor where said work is being done for the State of Mississippi, and the president, chairman, or executive officer of such board, city commission, or governmental agency for which said work is being done, of such fact. Unless the mayor, Governor, president, executive officer, or chairman aforesaid, as the case may be, shall forthwith supply such contractor, officer, superintendent, agent, or person in charge of said works with the satisfactory workmen or laborers needed, said contractor, officer, superintendent, agent, or person shall be authorized to employ workmen or laborers who are not qualified under the provisions of Section 31-5-17 to make up the deficiency. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the State of Mississippi, any county, municipality, board, or commission from placing or letting any contract for the erection or construction of any public building or public work in the open market, or soliciting bids from persons, firms, or corporations without the State of Mississippi. Any person, persons, firm, or corporation from without the State of Mississippi that may obtain such contracts for public buildings or public works shall comply with the provisions of Section 31-5-17 upon undertaking the said contract or work.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 5: Public Works Contracts
Section 31-5-23: State products used in public works.

In the construction of any building, highway, road, bridge, or other public work or improvement by the State of Mississippi or any of its political subdivisions or municipalities, only materials grown, produced, prepared, made and/or manufactured within the State of Mississippi should be used. Paint, varnish and lacquer shall be used which shall contain as vehicles tung oil and either ester gum or modified resin (with rosin as the principal base of constituents), and turpentine shall be used as solvent or thinner, all of which said products shall be produced in Mississippi. However, preference shall not be given to materials grown, produced, prepared, made and/or manufactured in the State of Mississippi when other materials of like quality produced without the State of Mississippi may be purchased or secured at less cost, or any other materials of better quality produced without the State of Mississippi can be secured at a reasonable cost.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 7: Public Purchases
Section 31-7-15: Preferences for awarding contracts for commodities; procurement of products made from recovered materials; state agencies to purchase products manufactured or sold by Mississippi Industries for the Blind whenever economically feasible.

(1) Whenever two (2) or more competitive bids are received, one or more of which relates to commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state, and whenever all things stated in such received bids are equal with respect to price, quality and service, the commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state shall be given preference. A similar preference shall be given to commodities grown, processed or manufactured within this state whenever purchases are made without competitive bids, and when practical the Department of Finance and Administration may by regulation establish reasonable preferential policies for other commodities, giving preference to resident suppliers of this state.

(2) Any foreign manufacturing company with a factory in the state and with over fifty (50) employees working in the state shall have preference over any other foreign company where both price and quality are the same, regardless of where the product is manufactured.

(3) On or before January 1, 1991, the Department of Finance and Administration shall adopt bid and product specifications to be utilized by all state agencies that encourage the procurement of commodities made from recovered materials. Preference in awarding contracts for commodities shall be given to commodities offered at a competitive price.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 7: Public Purchases
Section 31-7-16: Purchase of certain equipment capable of being manufactured or assembled in separate units.

In the event equipment is required which is capable of being manufactured or assembled in separate units such as school bus chassis and bodies or other bodies of equipment installed upon chassis, and there is a manufacturer of such bodies located within the State of Mississippi, a public purchase may be made of such chassis and such body or equipment as separate items.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 7: Public Purchases
Section 31-7-18: Purchase of certain motor vehicles.

In addition to the method of purchasing authorized in this chapter, said governing authorities are hereby authorized to accept the lowest bid received from a motor vehicle dealer domiciled within the county of the governing authority for the purchase of any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds that shall not exceed a sum equal to three percent (3%) greater than the price or cost which the dealer pays the manufacturer, as evidenced by the factory invoice for the motor vehicle. In the event said county does not have an authorized motor vehicle dealer, said board or governing authority may, in like manner, receive bids from motor vehicle dealers in any adjoining county.

Title 31: Public Business, Bonds, and Obligations
Chapter 7: Public Purchases
Section 31-7-47: Preference to resident contractors.

In the letting of public contracts, preference shall be given to resident contractors, and a nonresident bidder domiciled in a state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision having laws granting preference to local contractors shall be awarded Mississippi public contracts only on the same basis as the nonresident bidder’s state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision awards contracts to Mississippi contractors bidding under similar circumstances. Resident contractors actually domiciled in Mississippi, be they corporate, individuals or partnerships, are to be granted preference over nonresidents in awarding of contracts in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the laws of the state, city, county, parish, province, nation or political subdivision of domicile of the nonresident.

Title 73: Professions and Vocations
Chapter 13: Engineers and Land Surveyors
Section 73-13-45: Public works.

(2)

• (a) In the awarding of public contracts for professional engineering services, preference shall be given to resident professional engineers over those nonresident professional engineers domiciled in a state having laws which grant a preference to the professional engineers who are residents of that state. Nonresident professional engineers shall be awarded Mississippi public contracts only on the same basis as the nonresident professional’s state awards contracts to Mississippi professional engineers under similar circumstances. When a nonresident professional engineer submits a proposal for a public project, he shall attach thereto a copy of his resident state’s current statute, resolution, policy, procedure or executive order pertaining to such state’s treatment of nonresident professional engineers. Resident professional engineers actually domiciled in Mississippi, be they corporate, individuals or partnerships, shall be granted preference over nonresidents in the awarding of contracts in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the laws of the state of domicile of the nonresident. As used in this section, the term “resident professional engineer” includes a nonresident person, firm or corporation that has been qualified to do business in this state and has maintained a permanent full-time office in the State of Mississippi for not less than two (2) years prior to submitting a proposal for a public project, and the subsidiaries and affiliates of such a person, firm or corporation.
• (b) The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any contract for any project upon which federal funds would be withheld because of the preference requirements of this subsection.