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Nevada State Purchasing Division Administrative History Nevada State Purchasing is charged by the State of Nevada with performing all functions related to service procurement; and the purchasing, renting, or leasing of supplies, materials and equipment needed by state agencies. Its purpose is to obtain supplies, equipment and services in a timely manner; to secure the best value, and to give all vendors an equal opportunity to do business with the State. The Purchasing Division maintains limited distribution centers in Reno and Las Vegas, delivers statewide, handles the reallocation and disposal of excess state property, maintains an inventory of state fixed assets, administers the Federal Surplus Property Program and distributes USDA food to all eligible recipients The State Department of Purchasing was created by the Nevada State Legislature in 1951. Prior to this date purchasing was done by each department, agency or institution of the State and was very loosely controlled. For large purchases the Board of Control authorized transactions. The 1951 Act established the Department of Purchasing and authorized a chief of the department. The legislation spelled out the chief's qualifications and outlined specific procedures for identification of needed supplies, economical procurement of these supplies and for the orderly distribution to state agencies. In 1961 the State Legislature authorized the Purchasing Department to acquire automobiles for state agencies, boards and commissions; to be in charge of federal surplus property; and to regulate the leasing, purchasing and acquisition of real property by the state, its offices and agencies. In 1962 a warehouse opened in Reno to store commodities in order to reduced costs and increase speed of delivery to state agencies. At that time the Department had two sections, the Surplus Property Section and the State Inventory Section. In 1963 Purchasing was made a Division under the Department of Administration; the Purchasing Division moved administratively again in 1984, this time to the Department of General Services. Finally in 1993 Purchasing became a Division within the Department of Administration. A second warehouse was authorized for Las Vegas in 1975 and in 1995 the Nevada State Legislature set up the Supplemental Food Program within the Division. This program supplements the supply of food and the services provided by organizations which provide food to indigent persons, such as food banks, emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters. Currently the Purchasing Division consists of the following offices: the Central Office, the Property Management Office and the Food Distribution Program. Records Administrative Records 1975-2000 6 cubic feet The holdings in the State Archives include divisional correspondence and fixed asset inventories of vehicles and weapons, arranged by state agency. The collection also contains records of the sale of state warrants and bonds to the general public between the years 1982-1992. |