Special Procurement Notice: Equifax, Income Verification Services - Amd #1

Special Procurement Notice: Equifax, Income Verification Services - Amd #1 THIS IS A NOTICE, NOT A BID. SEE ATTACHMENTS FOR INFORMATION. Special Procurement Amendment for Equifax Income Verification Services REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 1 of 7 REQUEST FOR SPECIAL PROCUREMENT No. REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (previously SP-1240-20), Amendment No. 1 PART A. Requesting Agency must complete Items 1 through 13. 1. Requesting Agency Name: The Department of Administrative Services, State Procurement Services (“DAS SPS”) on behalf of the Oregon Department of Human Services (“ODHS”), Oregon Health Authority (“OHA”) and Department of Justice (“DOJ”) (collectively “Agencies”) 2. Date of Request: September 23, 2025 3. Agency Number: 107090 OBO 100000 & 137000 4. Agency Contact Name: Sara Stone 5. Phone: (971) 707-1658 6. Type of Request: ___ Class Special Procurement _X_ Contract-specific Special Procurement 7. Amendment Time Period Requested: From: Upon approval To: July 31, 2028 8. Total Estimated Cost for Amendment Time Period: $35,000,000 9. Title: Supplies and/or Services to be acquired: Electronic Employment and Income Verification and other EVS value-added Services (collectively “Services”) 10. Amendment Request, Background, Current Need, and Proposed Contracting Procedure: a. Amendment Request: DAS SPS, on behalf of ODHS/OHA/DOJ, requests approval of this Special Procurement (“SP”) Amendment No. REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (previously SP-1240-20), Amendment No. 1 (“SP AMD-1”) to amend Contract No. PO-DASOBO-00003710 (“Contract”) with Equifax Workforce Solutions, LLC (previously TALX Corporation, a provider of Equifax Verification Services) (“Contractor” or “EVS”) for The Work Number® (“TWN”) electronic employment and income verification services for an added Term of two (2) more years, update the scope to include EVS value-added services, and increase the total Maximum not-to-exceed (“NTE”) Compensation to $35,000,000. b. Background: The Agencies continue to rely on electronic employment and income verification services to fulfill their statutory responsibilities, including the establishment, modification, and enforcement of child support orders and the determination of eligibility for critical public assistance programs such as:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Medicaid
• HIV Programs
• Other ODHS/OHA/DOJ programs

REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 2 of 7 TWN, operated by EVS, remains the largest provider of real-time employment and income data, with over 100 million records sourced directly from employer payroll systems. TWN also assists in identifying unreported income. Agencies use TWN in conjunction with public data sources to ensure timely and accurate service delivery to clients. Historically, the Agencies entered into separate sole source contracts with TALX (now EVS) in 2014 and 2015, respectively, both without protest. These contracts were extended to maintain continuity of services through July 31, 2021. Following the approval and public posting of Special Procurement No. SP-1240-20 in February 2021, with no protests received, DAS SPS, on behalf of the Agencies, executed a cooperative contract with a NTE amount of $13,883,000. Since then:

• Amendment 1 (September 2022) increased the NTE to $20,000,000 and updated the

Contractor name from TALX Corporation to Equifax Workforce Solutions, LLC.

• Amendment 2 (December 2022) updated the scope of services to include batch processing for

DOJ and revised the pricing and invoicing structure. For additional historical and background information see Attachment 1, Original SP-1240-20 c. Current Need: Due to sustained and increasing demand for the Services, the Agencies now seek to amend the Contract to extend the Term and increase the Maximum NTE Compensation to $35,000,000. These Services remain essential to the Agencies’ missions and the populations they serve, and this SP AMD- 1 ensures uninterrupted access from the Contract’s current expiration date of July 31, 2026 to July 31, 2028. DAS SPS, on behalf of ODHS, OHA, and DOJ seeks approval of this SP AMD-1 to: 1. Correct the NTE amount to accurately reflect the needed NTE and align it with prior contract amendments. 2. Implement a direct, system-to-system Application Programming Interface (“API”) integration between the Equifax Workforce Solutions platform for TWN and ODHS’s OregONEligibility (“ONE”) System, so that eligibility staff and automated rules can retrieve verified employment and wage data in real time at key points in benefit lifecycles, including initial determinations, recertifications, and changes. Using TWN through an API allows ODHS to systematically check earned income at scale, which supports more accurate calculations, fewer manual errors, and faster case actions. Improved payment accuracy is essential for compliance. 3. Extend the Term of the Contract until July 31, 2028. 4. Increase the NTE. Table 10.b.1 reflects the current and forecasted spend: REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 3 of 7 Table 10.b.1 Document Amount Running Total Original Contract $13,883,000 $13,883,000 Amendment No. 1 N/A $13,883,000 Amendment No. 2 $6,117,000 $20,000,000 Pending Amendment No. 3 (forecasted spend) $15,000,000 $35,000,000 d. Proposed Contracting Procedure: 1. As required by Oregon Administrative Rule (“OAR”) 125-247-0287, DAS SPS will issue a public notice (“Notice”) of the approved SP AMD-1 on OregonBuys® for a period of seven (7) calendar days. 2. The Notice will include provisions that any Affected Person(s) may protest the approval of the SP AMD-1. 3. DAS SPS will respond to and resolve all protests of this SP AMD-1, if any. 4. If no protests to this SP AMD-1 are received and sustained, DAS SPS will proceed with amending the Contract as set out in Section 10.a above. 5. DAS SPS will work with DAS Enterprise Information Services (“EIS”) and obtain its endorsement prior to executing the Contract amendment, as required. 6. Pursuant to OAR 137-045-0015 and Oregon Revised Statute (“ORS”) 291.049, DAS SPS will work with Oregon Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to obtain legal sufficiency approval prior to executing the Contract amendment, as required. 11. Justification for use of Special Procurement: Describe the circumstances that justify the use of a Special Procurement. Attach relevant documentation. The current Contract with DAS SPS, on behalf of the Agencies, and Equifax will expire July 31, 2026 and requires an increase to the NTE. With the approval of the Original SP (Attachment 1) in 2021 and subsequent amendments of the Contract, the SP and the Contract became intertwined. Therefore, the Contract cannot be amended as outlined in Section 10.a above, without first obtaining DAS approval through an SP Amendment Request. DAS SPS, on behalf of the Agencies, has determined that SP Amendment is the most appropriate solution for continuing its Contract with Equifax for the Services for the reasons set forth in Section 12. The same justification statements detailed in Original SP-1240-20, Attachment 1 are still applicable. REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 4 of 7 12. Findings to Satisfy the Required Standards: This proposed special procurement: __X__ (a) will be unlikely to encourage favoritism in the awarding of public contracts or to substantially diminish competition for public contracts because: There are currently no other known providers that can efficiently provide the Services required by the Agencies and the Agencies must have these Services to continue the above referenced programs. Operationally, moving to an API eliminates delays and errors caused by manual verifications, which can impede timely actions and increase the risk of inaccurate benefits. It also standardizes documentation and reduces staff data entry, decreasing state agency error, which is a significant component of the official quality control (“QC”) payment error rate. TWN API provides current employment and income data as processed by contributing employers and payroll providers, which supports accurate calculations and timely change actions. As such, continuing and enhancing this arrangement is necessary to avoid interruption of a critical, federally recognized verification capability while the Agencies complete systems integration and support increasing volumes of automated checks. The Agencies are pursuing this integration, because TWN maintains the nation’s largest payroll- sourced database and API integration with the TWN system and the ONE system is crucial to achieving SNAP payment accuracy objectives recognized by Food & Nutrition Services (“FNS”) guidance. Maintaining continuity of this capability via special procurement does not create favoritism; it preserves a validated, federally recognized method for verifying wages that is central to program integrity and timely service. The same findings statements detailed in Original SP-1240-20, Attachment 1 are still applicable. and ______ (b)(i) will result in substantial cost savings to the contracting agency or to the public because: or _ X__ (b)(ii) will otherwise substantially promote the public interest in a manner that could not practicably be realized by complying with the requirements of ORS 279B.055, 279B.060, 279B.065, or 279B.070, or any rules adopted thereunder because: Continuation of these Services is vital for the Agencies and the clients each agency serves. Without Electronic Employment and Income Verification Services, additional dedicated resources would be required to conduct manual income verifications via employers who typically do not respond at all, respond untimely, or direct the agency to TWN for verification. Direct verification from employers REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 5 of 7 would lengthen the time for clients to receive support and potentially create barriers to support and self-sufficiency. The required Services promotes the public interests by strengthening SNAP payment accuracy and ensuring timely delivery of benefits to eligible households. FNS emphasizes payment accuracy as a core priority and requires states to analyze QC findings and implement corrective action when error rates are excessive. Integrating TWN with the ONE system directly addresses the leading source of SNAP calculation error. The automation reduces processing time and avoids delays from unresponsive employers, allowing the agency to serve clients faster without sacrificing program integrity. These outcomes advance public trust, protect federal and state funds, and align with FNS guidance that permits the use of third-party payroll databases for SNAP certification and QC. The same findings statements detailed in Original SP-1240-20, Attachment 1 are still applicable. 13. Signature: The actual signature of the Agency Head or designee (e.g., Designated Procurement Officer) is not required on the Request submitted through OregonBuys®. Agency may elect to attach a signed Request as a pdf file through OregonBuys® or submit a signed hard copy Request. Signature: e.g. Electronically in OregonBuys® _________________ Name/Title: Date: REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 6 of 7 PART B. The Department of Administrative Services completes Part B. STATUTORY AND RULE AUTHORITY: ORS 279B.085(2) states the Director of the Department of Administrative Services may approve a special procurement if the Director finds that a written request submitted under ORS 279B.085(4) demonstrates that the use of a special procurement as described in the request, or an alternative procedure prescribed by the Director will: (a) Be unlikely to encourage favoritism in the awarding of public contracts or to substantially diminish competition for public contracts; and (b)(A) Result in substantial cost savings to the contracting agency or to the public; or (B) Otherwise substantially promote the public interest in a manner that could not practicably be realized by complying with requirements that are applicable under ORS 279B.055, 279B.060, 279B.065 or 279B.070 or under any rules adopted thereunder. OAR 125-246-0170 delegates the authority of the Director of the Department of Administrative Services to approve special procurements to the State Chief Procurement Officer. OAR 125-247-0285 through 125-247-0288 implement ORS 279B.085. OAR 125-247-0700(2) Protests and Judicial Review of Special Procurements designates the State Chief Procurement Officer as the Contract Review Authority. FINDINGS: The findings are accepted, adopted, and incorporated by reference herein. CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: 1. Notice Period. The Authorized Agency shall post the Public Notice on OregonBuys. The Special Procurement may not be used until after the completion of the seven (7) day notice period required pursuant to OAR 125-247-0287(4), and either: a. No Written protests are received by the Contract Review Authority, State Chief Procurement Officer, from an Affected Person in response to the notice, or b. If any protest is received during the notice period, then not until: i. the State Chief Procurement Officer or delegate issues a written disposition of the protest in accordance with ORS 279B.400 and OAR 125-247-0700 and OAR 137-047- 0700, and ii. confirms in writing the first possible date of use of the Special Procurement. 2. ORS 279A.165 Requirements. Authorized Agency shall comply with the requirements of ORS 279A.165 and OAR 125-247-0287(12) regarding a report about this Special Procurement. Agency shall use a form and follow the instructions provided by the State Chief Procurement Officer or delegate. 3. Authorized Agency shall comply with all Enterprise Information Services (“EIS”) conditions and requirements prior to contract amendment execution, if any. REQ-DASOBO-00124834 (1240-20)_AMD-1_TWN_ODHS/OHA/DOJ Page 7 of 7 4. Reporting Requirements. During the Term of this Special Procurement Amendment, ODHS, OHA and DOJ will track their spend to ensure that the cumulative total does not exceed $35,000,000. ODHS, OHA and DOJ will submit a report (e.g., Microsoft Word or Excel report) to DAS SPS detailing their cumulative spend 1) before pursing another amendment to this Special Procurement and 2) upon request of the State Chief Procurement Officer (“CPO”), or delegate(s). APPROVED Jay Jackson, Procurement Policy Officer (“PPO”) Date: Department of Administrative Services, State Procurement Services 9/24/2025