SECTION 1. Section 22N of chapter 7 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 60 and 61, and in line 63, the word “December” and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following word:- October.

SECTION 2.  Section 52 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the words “fifty-three to fifty-eight” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 53 to 58A.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 10 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 58 the following section:-

Section 58A. (a) The council shall establish criteria and guidelines for state-designated cultural districts. A cultural district shall be a geographical area of a city or town with a concentration of cultural facilities located within it. Cultural districts shall attract artists and cultural enterprises to a community, encourage business and job development, establish tourist destinations, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values and foster local cultural development. The council shall assist a city or town if the city or town wishes to develop or foster a cultural district.  The council shall develop an application process, with specific guidelines and criteria, for a city or town that wishes to develop or foster a cultural district.  Executive branch agencies, constitutional offices and quasi-governmental agencies shall identify programs and services that support and enhance the development of cultural districts and ensure that those programs and services are accessible to such districts. The council shall consult with the Massachusetts historical commission in developing and establishing criteria and guidelines regarding preservation and reuse of historic buildings.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, executive branch agencies, constitutional offices and quasi-governmental agencies including, but not limited to, the council and historic preservation programs, shall review and revise regulations and other economic development tools, including the evaluative criteria of such historic preservation programs, in order to support and encourage the development and success of state-designated cultural districts.

SECTION 4.  Section 1 of chapter 30B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after the word “section”, in line 6, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, the following word:-  11C or section.

SECTION 5.   Said section 1 of said chapter 30B is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “commonwealth”, in line 12, as so appearing, the following words:-  , except as pertains to subsection (i) of section 16.

SECTION 6.  Said section 1 of said chapter 30B, as most recently amended by section 41 of chapter 25 of the acts of 2009, is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection:-

(f) This chapter shall be deemed to have been complied with on all purchases made from a vendor pursuant to a General Services Administration federal supply schedule that is available for use by governmental bodies.

SECTION 7.  Section 2 of said chapter 30B is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Contractor”, as so appearing, the following 2 definitions:-

“Cooperative purchasing”, procurement conducted by, or on behalf of, more than 1 public procurement unit or by a public procurement unit with an external procurement activity.

“Electronic bidding”, the electronic solicitation and receipt of offers to contract for supplies and services; provided, however, that offers may be accepted and contracts may be entered into by use of electronic bidding.

SECTION 8.  Said section 2 of said chapter 30B is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Employment agreement”, as so appearing, the following definition:-

“External procurement activity”, (a) a public agency not located in the commonwealth which would qualify as a public procurement unit; (b) buying by the United States government.

SECTION 9.  Said section 2 of said chapter 30B is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Labor relations representative”, as so appearing, the following definition:-

“Local public procurement unit”, a political subdivision or unit thereof which expends public funds for the procurement of supplies.

SECTION 10.  Said section 2 of said chapter 30B is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Proposal”, as so appearing, the following definition:-

“Public procurement unit”, a local public procurement unit or a state public procurement unit.