Tennessee Code

Title 12. Public Property, Printing and Contracts

Chapter 3. Public Purchases

Part 12. Local Governments

 

TENN. CODE ANN. §12-3-1205. Cooperative purchasing agreements.

(a) Any municipality, county, utility district, or other local government of the state may participate in, sponsor, conduct or administer a cooperative purchasing agreement for the procurement of any supplies, services or construction with one (1) or more other local governments in accordance with an agreement entered into between the participants. Such cooperative purchasing may include, but is not limited to, joint or multi-party contracts between local governments. Where the participants in a joint or multi-party contract are required to advertise and receive bids, it shall be sufficient for those purposes that the purchasing entity comply only with its own purchasing requirements.

(b)         (1) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any municipality, county, utility district, or other local government of the state may participate in, sponsor, conduct, or administer a cooperative purchasing agreement for the procurement of any goods, supplies, services, or equipment with one (1) or more other governmental entities outside this state, to the extent the laws of the other state permit the joint exercise of purchasing authority, in accordance with an agreement entered into between or among the participants; provided, such goods, supplies, services, or equipment were procured in a manner that constitutes competitive bidding and were advertised, evaluated, and awarded by a governmental entity and made available for use by other governmental entities.

(2) A municipality, county, utility district, or other local government of the state may participate in a master agreement by adopting a resolution accepting the terms of the master agreement. If a participant in a joint or multi-party agreement is required to advertise and receive bids, then it will be deemed sufficient for those purposes that the purchasing entity or the entity that procured the bid complied with its own purchasing requirements. The participant shall acquire and maintain documentation that the purchasing entity or entities that procured the bid complied with its own purchasing requirements.

(3) The powers conferred by this section are in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law, and any limitations imposed by this section shall not affect powers conferred by any other law.

(4) This subsection (b) shall not apply to:

(A) Purchases of new or unused motor vehicles, unless the motor vehicles are manufactured for a special purpose as defined in § 12–3–1012; or

(B) Purchases of construction, engineering or architectural services, or construction materials.

Chapter 9. Interlocal Cooperation Act

T.C.A. §12-9-103. Chapter definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Local government entity” means any city, town, municipality, county, including any county having a metropolitan form of government, local education agency, development district, utility district, human resource agency or other political subdivision of this state;

(2) “Local government joint venture entity” means any entity created pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, a self-insurance pool, trust, joint venture, nonprofit organization, or any other type of organization that is sponsored, owned, operated, or governed by two (2) or more local government entities as a separate and specific activity;

(3) “Public agency” means:

(A) Any political subdivision of this state;

(B) Any private incorporated fire department and industrial fire department not supported by public funds or which are only partially supported by public funds;

(C) Any incorporated rescue squad that is not supported by public funds or that is only partially supported by public funds;

(D) Any agency of the state government or of the United States; and

(E) Any political subdivision of another state; and

(4) “State” means a state of the United States.

T.C.A. §12-9-104. Interlocal Agreements.

(a) (1) Any power or powers, privileges or authority exercised or capable of exercise by a public agency of this state, including those provided in § 6-54-307 or § 68-221-1107(b), may be exercised and enjoyed jointly with any other public agency of this state having the power or powers, privilege or authority, and jointly with any public agency of any other state or the United States to the extent that laws of such other state or of the United States permit such joint exercise or enjoyment. Any agency of the state government when acting jointly with any public agency may exercise and enjoy all of the powers, privileges and authority conferred by this chapter upon a public agency. The authority for joint or cooperative action of political subdivisions shall apply to powers, privileges or authority vested in, funded by, and/or under the control of their governing bodies and relative to which the governing bodies may make other types of contracts. No joint or cooperative agreement shall be entered into affecting or relating to the constitutional or statutory powers, privileges or authority of officers of political subdivisions, or of agencies of political subdivisions with a separate governing board and having powers granted by statute independent of the governing body. Notwithstanding any provision of the law to the contrary, any municipality may enter into an agreement with the sheriff, court of general sessions, and the governing body of any county in which it is located to provide for the enforcement of the municipality’s ordinances according to §§ 8-8-201(a)(34) and 16-15-501. The agreement between the municipality and the county governing body shall be limited to provide that the cost of such enforcement will be borne by the municipality where the court costs paid over to the county, as provided by § 16-15-501, are not adequate.

(2) Agencies of political subdivisions that have governing boards separate from the governing bodies of the political subdivisions may make agreements for joint or cooperative action with other such agencies and with other public agencies. The power to make joint or cooperative agreements includes any power, privilege or authority exercised or that may be exercised by each of the agencies that is a party to the agreement. Agreements between agencies of political subdivisions that have separate governing boards and other such agencies and agreements between such agencies and public agencies shall substantially conform to the requirements of this chapter. The governing bodies of such political subdivisions shall require agreements made by their agencies pursuant to this chapter to be submitted to the governing body for approval before the agreements take effect.

(b) Any two (2) or more public agencies may enter into agreements with one another for joint or cooperative action pursuant to this chapter. Appropriate action of the governing bodies of the participating public agencies by resolution or otherwise pursuant to law shall be necessary before any such agreement may enter into force.