A bill sponsored by Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, that would ease restrictions on local government purchasing practices passed out of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

“This legislation helps cities and counties better serve their citizens while promoting local and small businesses,” said Springer. “I was glad to see it pass the House with bipartisan support.”

HB 1268 would help local governments purchase local products by loosening restrictions on contract bidding. As the law is currently written, city and county governments must select the cheapest bid when purchasing goods, a figure that can often be decided by the local tax rate of a business.

The result, Springer says, is that “local governments are forced to purchase goods from across the state while ignoring local companies within their jurisdiction.”

Springer’s bill would resolve the issue by allowing local governments to consider bids before taxes are applied. Doing so would even the playing field for businesses across the state and offer cities and counties more options for purchasing locally.

A modified version of the bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier in February. The two bodies will conference to determine which version of the bill to send to the Governor.