BILL NUMBER: SB 879	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Cox

                        JANUARY 12, 2010

   An act to amend Section 20133 of the Public Contract Code,
relating to public contracts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 879, as introduced, Cox. Construction projects: alternative
bidding procedures: design-build.
   Existing law authorizes counties to use alternative procedures,
known as design-build, for bidding on construction projects in the
county in excess of $2,500,000, in accordance with specified
procedures. Each county that elects to use the design-build method on
a public works project is required to submit a report to the
Legislative Analyst's Office before December 1, 2009, containing a
description of each public works project procured through the
design-build process and completed after November 1, 2004, and before
November 1, 2009. Existing law also requires the Legislative
Analyst, on or before January 1, 2010, to report to the Legislature
on the use of the design-build method by counties.
   This bill would repeal those reporting provisions.
   Existing law authorizing design-build contracts for county
construction projects is effective only until January 1, 2011, and as
of that date is repealed.
   This bill would delete that repeal date, thereby making the county
design-build provisions operative indefinitely.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 20133 of the Public Contract Code is amended to
read:
   20133.  (a)  A county, with approval of the board of supervisors,
may utilize an alternative procedure for bidding on construction
projects in the county in excess of two million five hundred thousand
dollars ($2,500,000) and may award the project using either the
lowest responsible bidder or by best value.
   (b) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to enable counties to
utilize design-build for buildings and county sanitation wastewater
treatment facilities. It is not the intent of the Legislature to
authorize this procedure for other infrastructure, including, but not
limited to, streets and highways, public rail transit, or water
resources facilities and infrastructures.
   (2) The Legislature also finds and declares that utilizing a
design-build contract requires a clear understanding of the roles and
responsibilities of each participant in the design-build process.
   (3) (A) For contracts awarded prior to either the effective date
of regulations adopted by the Department of Industrial Relations
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1771.55 of the Labor Code or
the fees established by the department pursuant to subparagraph (B),
if the board of supervisors elects to proceed under this section, the
board of supervisors shall establish and enforce for design-build
projects a labor compliance program containing the requirements
outlined in Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code, or it shall contract
with a third party to operate a labor compliance program containing
the requirements outlined in Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code. This
requirement shall not apply to any project where the county or the
design-build entity has entered into any collective bargaining
agreement or agreements that bind all of the contractors performing
work on the projects.
   (B) For contracts awarded on or after both the effective date of
regulations adopted by the Department of Industrial Relations
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1771.55 of the Labor Code and
the fees established by the department pursuant to this subparagraph,
the board of supervisors shall pay a fee to the department, in an
amount that the department shall establish, and as it may from time
to time amend, sufficient to support the department's costs in
ensuring compliance with and enforcing prevailing wage requirements
on the project, and labor compliance enforcement as set forth in
subdivision (b) of Section 1771.55. All fees collected pursuant to
this paragraph shall be deposited in the State Public Works
Enforcement Fund created by Section 1771.3 of the Labor Code, and
shall be used only for enforcement of prevailing wages requirements
on those projects.
   (C) The Department of Industrial Relations may waive the fee set
forth in subparagraph (B) if the board of supervisors has previously
been granted approval by the director to initiate and operate a labor
compliance program on its projects and requests to continue to
operate that labor compliance program on its projects in lieu of
labor compliance by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of
Section 1771.55. The fee shall not be waived for the board of
supervisors if it contracts with a third party to initiate and
enforce labor compliance programs on its projects.
   (c) As used in this section:
   (1) "Best value" means a value determined by objective criteria
related to price, features, functions, and life-cycle costs.
   (2) "Design-build" means a procurement process in which both the
design and construction of a project are procured from a single
entity.
   (3) "Design-build entity" means a partnership, corporation, or
other legal entity that is able to provide appropriately licensed
contracting, architectural, and engineering services as needed
pursuant to a design-build contract.
   (4) "Project" means the construction of a building and
improvements directly related to the construction of a building, and
county sanitation wastewater treatment facilities, but does not
include the construction of other infrastructure, including, but not
limited to, streets and highways, public rail transit, or water
resources facilities and infrastructure.
   (d) Design-build projects shall progress in a four-step process,
as follows:
   (1) (A) The county shall prepare a set of documents setting forth
the scope of the project. The documents may include, but are not
limited to, the size, type, and desired design character of the
public improvement, performance specifications covering the quality
of materials, equipment, and workmanship, preliminary plans or
building layouts, or any other information deemed necessary to
describe adequately the county's needs. The performance
specifications and any plans shall be prepared by a design
professional who is duly licensed and registered in California.
   (B) Any architect or engineer retained by the county to assist in
the development of the project specific documents shall not be
eligible to participate in the preparation of a bid with any
design-build entity for that project.
   (2) (A) Based on the documents prepared in paragraph (1), the
county shall prepare a request for proposals that invites interested
parties to submit competitive sealed proposals in the manner
prescribed by the county. The request for proposals shall include,
but is not limited to, the following elements:
   (i) Identification of the basic scope and needs of the project or
contract, the expected cost range, and other information deemed
necessary by the county to inform interested parties of the
contracting opportunity, to include the methodology that will be used
by the county to evaluate proposals and specifically if the contract
will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.
   (ii) Significant factors that the county reasonably expects to
consider in evaluating proposals, including cost or price and all
nonprice related factors.
   (iii) The relative importance of weight assigned to each of the
factors identified in the request for proposals.
   (B) With respect to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A), if a
nonweighted system is used, the agency shall specifically disclose
whether all evaluation factors other than cost or price when combined
are:
   (i) Significantly more important than cost or price.
   (ii) Approximately equal in importance to cost or price.
   (iii) Significantly less important than cost or price.
   (C) If the county chooses to reserve the right to hold discussions
or negotiations with responsive bidders, it shall so specify in the
request for proposal and shall publish separately or incorporate into
the request for proposal applicable rules and procedures to be
observed by the county to ensure that any discussions or negotiations
are conducted in good faith.
   (3) (A)  The county shall establish a procedure to prequalify
design-build entities using a standard questionnaire developed by the
county. In preparing the questionnaire, the county shall consult
with the construction industry, including representatives of the
building trades and surety industry. This questionnaire shall require
information including, but not limited to, all of the following:
   (i) If the design-build entity is a partnership, limited
partnership, or other association, a listing of all of the partners,
general partners, or association members known at the time of bid
submission who will participate in the design-build contract,
including, but not limited to, mechanical subcontractors.
   (ii) Evidence that the members of the design-build entity have
completed, or demonstrated the experience, competency, capability,
and capacity to complete, projects of similar size, scope, or
complexity, and that proposed key personnel have sufficient
experience and training to competently manage and complete the design
and construction of the project, as well as a financial statement
that assures the county that the design-build entity has the capacity
to complete the project.
   (iii) The licenses, registration, and credentials required to
design and construct the project, including information on the
revocation or suspension of any license, credential, or registration.

   (iv) Evidence that establishes that the design-build entity has
the capacity to obtain all required payment and performance bonding,
liability insurance, and errors and omissions insurance.
   (v) Any prior serious or willful violation of the California
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973, contained in Part 1
(commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code, or
the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-596),
settled against any member of the design-build entity, and
information concerning workers' compensation experience history and
worker safety program.
   (vi) Information concerning any debarment, disqualification, or
removal from a federal, state, or local government public works
project. Any instance in which an entity, its owners, officers, or
managing employees submitted a bid on a public works project and were
found to be nonresponsive, or were found by an awarding body not to
be a responsible bidder.
   (vii) Any instance in which the entity, or its owners, officers,
or managing employees, defaulted on a construction contract.
   (viii) Any violations of the Contractors' State License Law
(Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the
Business and Professions Code), excluding alleged violations of
federal or state law including the payment of wages, benefits,
apprenticeship requirements, or personal income tax withholding, or
of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA; 26 U.S.C. Sec. 3101 et
seq.) withholding requirements settled against any member of the
design-build entity.
   (ix) Information concerning the bankruptcy or receivership of any
member of the design-build entity, including information concerning
any work completed by a surety.
   (x) Information concerning all settled adverse claims, disputes,
or lawsuits between the owner of a public works project and any
member of the design-build entity during the five years preceding
submission of a bid pursuant to this section, in which the claim,
settlement, or judgment exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
Information shall also be provided concerning any work completed by a
surety during this period.
   (xi) In the case of a partnership or other association, that is
not a legal entity, a copy of the agreement creating the partnership
or association and specifying that all partners or association
members agree to be fully liable for the performance under the
design-build contract.
   (B) The information required pursuant to this subdivision shall be
verified under oath by the entity and its members in the manner in
which civil pleadings in civil actions are verified. Information that
is not a public record pursuant to the California Public Records Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1
of the Government Code) shall not be open to public inspection.
   (4) The county shall establish a procedure for final selection of
the design-build entity. Selection shall be based on either of the
following criteria:
   (A) A competitive bidding process resulting in lump-sum bids by
the prequalified design-build entities. Awards shall be made to the
lowest responsible bidder.
   (B) A county may use a design-build competition based upon best
value and other criteria set forth in paragraph (2). The design-build
competition shall include the following elements:
   (i) Competitive proposals shall be evaluated by using only the
criteria and selection procedures specifically identified in the
request for proposal. However, the following minimum factors shall
each represent at least 10 percent of the total weight of
consideration given to all criteria factors: price, technical design,
and construction expertise, life cycle costs over 15 years or more,
skilled labor force availability, and acceptable safety record.
   (ii) Once the evaluation is complete, the top three responsive
bidders shall be ranked sequentially from the most advantageous to
the least.
   (iii) The award of the contract shall be made to the responsible
bidder whose proposal is determined, in writing, to be the most
advantageous.
   (iv) Notwithstanding any provision of this code, upon issuance of
a contract award, the county shall publicly announce its award,
identifying the contractor to whom the award is made, along with a
written decision supporting its contract award and stating the basis
of the award. The notice of award shall also include the county's
second and third ranked design-build entities.
   (v) For purposes of this paragraph, "skilled labor force
availability" shall be determined by the existence of an agreement
with a registered apprenticeship program, approved by the California
Apprenticeship Council, which has graduated apprentices in each of
the preceding five years. This graduation requirement shall not apply
to programs providing apprenticeship training for any craft that has
been deemed by the Department of Labor and the Department of
Industrial Relations to be an apprenticeable craft in the five years
prior to enactment of this act.
   (vi) For purposes of this paragraph, a bidder's "safety record"
shall be deemed "acceptable" if their experience modification rate
for the most recent three-year period is an average of 1.00 or less,
and their average total recordable injury/illness rate and average
lost work rate for the most recent three-year period does not exceed
the applicable statistical standards for its business category or if
the bidder is a party to an alternative dispute resolution system as
provided for in Section 3201.5 of the Labor Code.
   (e) (1) Any design-build entity that is selected to design and
build a project pursuant to this section shall possess or obtain
sufficient bonding to cover the contract amount for nondesign
services, and errors and omission insurance coverage sufficient to
cover all design and architectural services provided in the contract.
This section does not prohibit a general or engineering contractor
from being designated the lead entity on a design-build entity for
the purposes of purchasing necessary bonding to cover the activities
of the design-build entity.
   (2) Any payment or performance bond written for the purposes of
this section shall be written using a bond form developed by the
county.
   (f) All subcontractors that were not listed by the design-build
entity in accordance with clause (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph
(3) of subdivision (d) shall be awarded by the design-build entity
in accordance with the design-build process set forth by the county
in the design-build package. All subcontractors bidding on contracts
pursuant to this section shall be afforded the protections contained
in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4100) of Part 1. The
design-build entity shall do both of the following:
   (1) Provide public notice of the availability of work to be
subcontracted in accordance with the publication requirements
applicable to the competitive bidding process of the county.
   (2) Provide a fixed date and time on which the subcontracted work
will be awarded in accordance with the procedure established pursuant
to this section.
   (g) The minimum performance criteria and design standards
established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) shall be
adhered to by the design-build entity. Any deviations from those
standards may only be allowed by written consent of the county.
   (h) The county may retain the services of a design professional or
construction project manager, or both, throughout the course of the
project in order to ensure compliance with this section.
   (i) Contracts awarded pursuant to this section shall be valid
until the project is completed.
   (j) Nothing in this section is intended to affect, expand, alter,
or limit any rights or remedies otherwise available at law.
   (k) (1)  If the county elects to award a project pursuant to this
section, retention proceeds withheld by the county from the
design-build entity shall not exceed 5 percent if a performance and
payment bond, issued by an admitted surety insurer, is required in
the solicitation of bids.
   (2) In a contract between the design-build entity and the
subcontractor, and in a contract between a subcontractor and any
subcontractor thereunder, the percentage of the retention proceeds
withheld may not exceed the percentage specified in the contract
between the county and the design-build entity. If the design-build
entity provides written notice to any subcontractor who is not a
member of the design-build entity, prior to or at the time the bid is
requested, that a bond may be required and the subcontractor
subsequently is unable or refuses to furnish a bond to the
design-build entity, then the design-build entity may withhold
retention proceeds in excess of the percentage specified in the
contract between the county and the design-build entity from any
payment made by the design-build entity to the subcontractor.

   (  l  )  Each county that elects to proceed
under this section and uses the design-build method on a public works
project shall submit to the Legislative Analyst's Office before
December 1, 2009, a report containing a description of each public
works project procured through the design-build process and completed
after November 1, 2004, and before November 1, 2009. The report
shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following
information: 
   (1)  The type of project.  
   (2)  The gross square footage of the project.  
   (3)  The design-build entity that was awarded the project.
 
   (4)  The estimated and actual length of time to complete the
project.  
   (5)  The estimated and actual project costs.  
   (6)  A description of any written protests concerning any aspect
of the solicitation, bid, proposal, or award of the design-build
project, including the resolution of the protests.  

   (7)  An assessment of the prequalification process and criteria.
 
   (8)  An assessment of the effect of retaining 5-percent retention
on the project.  
   (9)  A description of the Labor Force Compliance Program and an
assessment of the project impact, where required.  
   (10)  A description of the method used to award the contract. If
best value was the method, the report shall describe the factors used
to evaluate the bid, including the weighting of each factor and an
assessment of the effectiveness of the methodology. 

   (11)  An assessment of the project impact of "skilled labor force
availability."  
   (12)  An assessment of the design-build dollar limits on county
projects. This assessment shall include projects where the county
wanted to use design-build and was precluded by the dollar
limitation. This assessment shall also include projects where the
best value method was not used due to dollar limitations. 

   (13)  An assessment of the most appropriate uses for the
design-build approach.  
   (m)  Any county that elects to not use the authority granted by
this section may submit a report to the Legislative Analyst's Office
explaining why the county elected to not use the design-build method.
 
   (n)  On or before January 1, 2010, the Legislative Analyst shall
report to the Legislature on the use of the design-build method by
counties pursuant to this section, including the information listed
in subdivision (  l  ). The report may include
recommendations for modifying or extending this section. 
   (o) 
    (   l   )  Except as provided in this
section, nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the
application of any other law. 
   (p)  This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2011, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2011, deletes or extends
that date.