Assembly Bill No. 173

CHAPTER 262

An act to add Section 14838.64 to the Government Code, and to add Sections 10508.5 and 20651.2 to the Public Contract Code, relating to public contracts.

[Approved by Governor September 9, 2013. Filed with Secretary of State September 9, 2013.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 173, Weber. Postsecondary education: Small Business Procurement and Contract Act.

Existing law, the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act, permits a state agency to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements.

Existing law establishes provisions regarding the award of contracts for goods and services applicable to the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, and establishes criminal penalties for the violation of those provisions.

This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, authorize the California State University and, subject to a specified provision, a community college district to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements.

The bill would include among those provisions that given contracting by the University of California similar authority to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $100,000 and $250,000. The bill would declare that it is not applicable to the University of California except to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, make it applicable. By changing the definition of existing crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 14838.64 is added to the Government Code, to read:

14838.64.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to, the advertising, bidding, and protest provisions of Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of this part and Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 10700) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12100) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, the California State University may award a contract for the acquisition of goods, services, or information technology that has an estimated value of greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000), but less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), to a certified small business, including a microbusiness, or to a disabled veteran business enterprise, if the California State University obtains price quotations from two or more certified small businesses, including microbusinesses, or from two or more disabled veteran business enterprises.

(b) In carrying out subdivision (a), the California State University shall consider a responsive offer timely received from a responsible certified small business, including a microbusiness, or from a disabled veteran business enterprise.

SEC. 2.  

Section 10508.5 is added to the Public Contract Code, to read:

10508.5.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to, the advertising, bidding, and protest provisions of Chapter 2.1 (commencing with Section 10500), the University of California may award a contract for the acquisition of goods, services, or information technology that has an estimated value of greater than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), but less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), to a certified small business, including a microbusiness, or to a disabled veteran business enterprise, if the University of California obtains price quotations from two or more certified small businesses, including microbusinesses, or from two or more disabled veteran business enterprises.

(b) In carrying out subdivision (a), the University of California shall consider a responsive offer timely received from a responsible certified small business, including a microbusiness, or from a disabled veteran business enterprise.

(c) No provision of this section shall apply to the University of California except to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, make that provision applicable.

SEC. 3.  

Section 20651.2 is added to the Public Contract Code, to read:

20651.2.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to, the advertising, bidding, and protest provisions of this article and Division 7 (commencing with Section 70900) of Title 3 of the Education Code, but subject to Section 88003.1, the governing board of a community college district may award a contract for the acquisition of goods, services, or information technology that has an estimated value of greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000), but less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), to a certified small business, including a microbusiness, or to a disabled veteran business enterprise, if the community college district obtains price quotations from two or more certified small businesses, including microbusinesses, or from two or more disabled veteran business enterprises.

(b) In carrying out subdivision (a), a community college district shall consider a responsive offer timely received from a responsible certified small business, including a microbusiness, or from a disabled veteran business enterprise.

(c) The definitions set forth in Section 14837 of the Government Code apply to this section.

SEC. 4.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.



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