§ 23-24.9-15. State procurement preferences for low or nonmercury-added products.
(a) Notwithstanding other policies and guidelines for the procurement of equipment, supplies, and other products, the Rhode Island department of administration shall by January 1, 2003, revise its policies, rules, and procedures to implement the purposes of this chapter.
(b) The Rhode Island department of administration shall give priority and preference to the purchase of equipment, supplies, and other products that do not contain mercury-added compounds or components, unless there is no economically feasible nonmercury-added alternative that performs a similar function. In circumstances where a nonmercury-added product is not available, preference shall be given to the purchase of products that contain the least amount of mercury-added to the product necessary for the required performance.
(c) State dental insurance contracts negotiated after January 1, 2003, shall provide coverage for non-mercury fillings at no additional expense to the state employee.
(d) Mercury-containing lamp purchasing. When making purchasing decisions on mercury-containing lamps, the Rhode Island department of administration shall request information on mercury content, energy use, lumen output, and lamp life from potential suppliers and shall issue specifications and make purchasing decisions that favor models at comparable cost with high-energy efficiency, lower mercury content, and longer lamp life. Information obtained on mercury content, energy use, and lamp life must be made available by the Rhode Island department of administration to other purchasers who purchase a large number of mercury-containing lamps. This information must also be posted on the state’s publicly accessible website.
(e) Extra consideration shall be given to those vendors who provide substitute information on non-mercury lamps like light-emitting diode (LED) that have the same price, specifications, lumen output, and lamp life of what is being sought in the bid abstract.
History of Section.P.L. 2001, ch. 234, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 318, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 143, § 2; P.L. 2016, ch. 161, § 2.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 23-24.9 - Mercury Reduction and Education Act
Section 23-24.9-1. - Short title.
Section 23-24.9-2. - Findings.
Section 23-24.9-2.1. - Oversight and systems planning.
Section 23-24.9-3. - Definitions.
Section 23-24.9-4. - Interstate clearinghouse.
Section 23-24.9-5. - Notification.
Section 23-24.9-6. - Restrictions on the sale of certain mercury-added products.
Section 23-24.9-7. - Phase-out and exemptions.
Section 23-24.9-8. - Labeling required for certain products.
Section 23-24.9-9. - Disposal ban.
Section 23-24.9-9.1. - Legislative findings.
Section 23-24.9-9.2. - Best management practices.
Section 23-24.9-9.3. - Amalgam separators.
Section 23-24.9-9.4. - Exemptions.
Section 23-24.9-10. - Collection of mercury-added products.
Section 23-24.9-10.1. - Resource recovery corporation option.
Section 23-24.9-10.2. - Mercury-containing thermostats.
Section 23-24.9-10.3. - Sunset provisions.
Section 23-24.9-11. - Disclosure for mercury-added formulated products — Healthcare facilities.
Section 23-24.9-12. - Limitations on the use of elemental mercury.
Section 23-24.9-13. - Existing inventories.
Section 23-24.9-14. - Public education and outreach.
Section 23-24.9-15. - State procurement preferences for low or nonmercury-added products.
Section 23-24.9-16. - Violations.
Section 23-24.9-17. - State review.
Section 23-24.9-18. - Application to products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Section 23-24.9-19. - Mercury advisory working group.
Section 23-24.9-20. - Regulations.