Answer

No, the Louisiana public entity cannot purchase directly from the out of state entity’s contracted vendor list without compliance with the Public Bid Law. The Attorney General has opined that Louisiana political subdivisions may only piggyback/cooperatively purchase off of contracts that were originally bid under Louisiana law. See AG Op. No. 15-0018 and AG Op. No. 12-0165 The AG has noted that La. Political subdivisions can purchase from such vendors if the Office of State Procurement adopts the contract as a State contract. Political subdivisions are authorized to purchase off of State contracts without bidding under the Public Bid Law. Further, if the vendor in question is on the Federal GSA list, the La. Political subdivision can purchase from the vendor as long as all of the following is met: 1. The Item is not available cheaper under an existing State contract, and 2. The purchase is made through a Louisiana licensed dealer or distributor. The political subdivision should contact the Louisiana Office of State Procurement before proceeding with a purchase from the Federal GSA lists to confirm item availability under current State contracts. Louisiana Legislative Auditor website: 05/30/2026 11:32:07 AM