BILL NUMBER: AB 720	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 27, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 23, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 9, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 25, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hall

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Sections 22031 and 22032 of the Public Contract
Code, relating to public contracts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 720, as amended, Hall. Public contracts: uniform construction
cost accounting provisions: alternative procedures.
   Existing law establishes procedures for local public agencies to
follow when engaged in public works projects, and authorizes agencies
to elect to become subject to uniform construction cost accounting
provisions. Existing law specifies that a board of supervisors or a
county road commissioner is not prohibited by those provisions from
utilizing, as an alternative, other procedures governing county
highway contracts.
   This bill would revise the above provision that specifies that a
board of supervisors or a county road commissioner is not prohibited
from using alternative procedures governing county highway contracts
to limit the use of those alternative procedures  for
  on or after January 1, 2013, to  maintenance and
emergency work and new road construction and road reconstruction, as
provided.  The bill would permit counties with a population of
less than 50,000, on or after January 1, 2013, to continue to utilize
alternative procedures for county highway contracts. 
   Existing law authorizes public projects of $30,000 or less to be
performed by the employees of the public agency by force account,
negotiated contract, or purchase order.
   This bill would increase the amount for which public projects are
authorized to be performed by the employees of the public agency 
,  as specified above  ,  to $45,000.
   Existing law also authorizes public projects of $125,000 or less
to be let to contract by informal procedures, as specified, and
requires public projects of more than $125,000 to be let to contract
by formal bidding procedure, except as provided.
   This bill would increase the amount for which public projects are
authorized to be let to contract by informal procedures to $175,000,
and would increase the amount for which public projects are required
to be let by formal bidding procedure to projects of more than
$175,000.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 22031 of the Public Contract Code is amended to
read: 
   22031.  Nothing in this article shall 
    22031.    (a)     Prior to January
1, 2013, this article shall not prohibit a board of supervisors or a
county road commissioner from utilizing, as an alternative to the
procedures set forth in this article, the procedures set forth in
Article 25 (commencing with Section 20390) of Chapter 1. 
   (b)     On or after January 1, 2013, this
article shall not  prohibit a board of supervisors or a county
road commissioner from utilizing, as an alternative to the procedures
set forth in this article, the procedures set forth in Article 25
(commencing with Section 20390) of Chapter 1 for both of the
following: 
   (a) 
    (1)  Maintenance and emergency work. 
   (b) 
    (2)  New road construction and road reconstruction as
long as the total annual value of the new road construction and the
road reconstruction  performed under the procedures set forth in
  subdivision (c) of Section 20395  does not exceed
 20   30  percent of the total value of all
work performed by force account other than maintenance as reported
in the Controller's Streets and Roads Annual Report as of January 1
of each year. 
   (c) On or after January 1, 2013, for a county with a population of
less than 50,000, this article shall not prohibit a board of
supervisors or a county road commissioner from utilizing, as an
alternative to the procedures set forth in this article, the
procedures set forth in Article 25 (commencing with Section 20390) of
Chapter 1.  
   (d) The requirements set forth in Section 22038 shall apply to any
county subject to this section.  
   (e) Any county board of supervisors or county road commissioner
acting pursuant to the authority granted in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (b) shall declare its intention to use this authority
prior to commencing work. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 22032 of the Public Contract Code is amended to
read:
   22032.  (a) Public projects of forty-five thousand dollars
($45,000) or less may be performed by the employees of a public
agency by force account, by negotiated contract, or by purchase
order.
   (b) Public projects of one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars
($175,000) or less may be let to contract by informal procedures as
set forth in this article.
   (c) Public projects of more than one hundred seventy-five thousand
dollars ($175,000) shall, except as otherwise provided in this
article, be let to contract by formal bidding procedure.