The duties of the director shall include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
1. Establishing and developing, in co-operation with the various state agencies, a system of uniform standards and specifications for purchasing. When the system is developed, all items of general use shall be purchased through the department, except items used by the state department of transportation, institutions under the control of the board of regents, the department for the blind, and any other agencies exempted by law.
Life cycle cost and energy efficiency shall be included in the criteria used by the department of general services, institutions under the state board of regents, the state department of transportation, the department for the blind and other state agencies in developing standards and specifications for purchasing energy consuming products. As used in this paragraph "life cycle cost" means the expected total cost of ownership during the life of a product.
For purposes of this section, the life cycle costs of American motor vehicles shall be reduced by five percent in order to determine if the motor vehicle is comparable to foreign made motor vehicles. "American motor vehicles" includes those vehicles manufactured in this state and those vehicles in which at least seventy percent of the value of the motor vehicle was manufactured in the United States or Canada and at least fifty percent of the motor vehicle sales of the manufacturer are in the United States or Canada. In determining the life cycle costs of a motor vehicle, the costs shall be determined on the basis of the bid price, the resale value, and the operating costs based upon a useable life of five years or seventy-five thousand miles, whichever occurs first.
Preference shall be given to purchasing American made products and purchases from American based businesses if the life cycle costs are comparable to those products of foreign businesses and which most adequately fulfill the department's need.
The director may purchase items through the state department of transportation, institutions under the control of the board of regents and any other agency exempted by law from centralized purchasing. These state agencies shall upon request furnish the director with a list of and specifications for all items of office equipment, furniture, fixtures, motor vehicles, heavy equipment and other related items to be purchased during the next quarter and the date by which the director must file with the agency the quantity of items to be purchased by the state agency for the department of general services. The department of general services shall be liable to the state agency for the proportionate costs the items purchased for it bear to the total purchase price. When items purchased have been delivered, the state agency shall notify the director and after receipt of the purchase price shall release the items to the director or upon the director's order.
2. Administering the provisions of sections 18.114 to 18.121.
3. Administering the provisions of sections 18.26 to 18.103.
4. Providing for the proper maintenance of the state capitol, grounds, and equipment and all other state buildings and grounds, and equipment at the seat of government, except those referred to in section 216B.3, subsection 6.
5. Establishing, supervising, and maintaining a central mail unit for the use of all state officials, agencies, and departments located at the seat of government.
6. Installing a records system for the keeping of records which are necessary for a proper audit and effective operation of the department.
7. Providing architectural services, contracting for construction and construction oversight for state agencies except for the board of regents, department of transportation, national guard, natural resource commission, and the Iowa public employees' retirement system. Capital funding appropriated to state agencies, except the board of regents, department of transportation, national guard, natural resource commission, and the Iowa public employees' retirement system for property management shall be transferred for administration and control to the director of the department of general services.
8. Administering the provisions of section 18.18.
9. Determining which risk exposures shall be self-insured or assumed by the state with respect to loss and loss exposures of state government.
10. Developing and implementing procedures to conduct transactions, including purchasing, authorized by this chapter in an electronic format to the extent determined appropriate by the department. The department shall adopt rules establishing criteria for competitive bidding procedures involving transactions in an electronic format, including criteria for accepting or rejecting bids which are electronically transmitted to the department, and for establishing with reasonable assurance the authenticity of the bid and the bidder's identity.
11. Insuring motor vehicles owned by the state. Insurance coverage may be provided through a self- insurance program administered by the department or purchased from an insurer. If the department utilizes a self-insurance program, the department shall maintain loss and exposure data for vehicles under the jurisdiction of the state fleet administrator. Upon request, state agencies shall provide all loss and exposure information to the department.
12. Organizing the department by divisions or other subunits to promote the effective and efficient administration of the department.
[C51, § 45, 60; R60, § 61, 81, 2170; C73, § 119, 120, 121; C97, § 147, 148, 150, 164, 165; S13, § 150, 157, 164, 165; SS15, § 147; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 273, 282, 296; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, § 18.2, 19.4, 19.18; C73, § 19.4, 19B.3; C75, 77, 79, 81, § 18.3; 81 Acts, ch 25, § 1]
83 Acts, ch 126, § 2; 86 Acts, ch 1132, § 1; 86 Acts, ch 1245, § 303; 87 Acts, ch 225, § 401; 88 Acts, ch 1277, § 23; 89 Acts, ch 76, § 1; 94 Acts, ch 1184, §2; 98 Acts, ch 1119, § 14; 98 Acts, ch 1164, §4, 5
Referred to in § 18.14
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