(a) This part is known and may be cited as the “Higher Education Purchasing Act.”
(b) The general assembly finds and declares that:(1) The public institutions of higher education in this state are permitted to purchase goods and services through statewide procurement contracts that provide significantly discounted pricing;(2) Private colleges and universities, including nonprofit and minority-serving institutions, are not allowed to purchase goods in the same manner as public institutions and must pay higher prices for identical goods and services;(3) Such increased procurement costs reduce the resources available to private institutions for instruction, student aid, and campus operations; and(4) Tennessee has a compelling interest in strengthening all institutions of higher education in this state, regardless of governance structure.
(1) The public institutions of higher education in this state are permitted to purchase goods and services through statewide procurement contracts that provide significantly discounted pricing;
(2) Private colleges and universities, including nonprofit and minority-serving institutions, are not allowed to purchase goods in the same manner as public institutions and must pay higher prices for identical goods and services;
(3) Such increased procurement costs reduce the resources available to private institutions for instruction, student aid, and campus operations; and
(4) Tennessee has a compelling interest in strengthening all institutions of higher education in this state, regardless of governance structure.