Relating to penalties for certain offenses involving county competitive bidding requirements; increasing criminal penalties.

SB 2046 increases criminal penalties for county officials or employees who intentionally avoid competitive bidding requirements for county purchases. It targets two types of violations: making separate purchases to bypass bidding rules, or other violations of bidding laws. Penalties range from misdemeanors to felonies based on the total value of the purchases: exceeding $1 million but under $5 million escalates penalties, while purchases of $5 million or more trigger felony charges. The bill directly affects county purchasing officials and employees who handle contracts over $1 million. It does not change bidding requirements but strengthens enforcement through harsher criminal consequences.