Amended in Assembly March 17, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1651

Introduced by Assembly Member Obernolte

January 12, 2016

An act to add Sections begin delete 324.7 and 324.8 end delete begin insert 324.7, 324.8, and 324.9 end insert to the Public Utilities Code, relating to the Public Utilities Commission.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1651, as amended, Obernolte. Public Utilities Commission: contracts.

Existing law generally requires public contracts to be awarded by competitive bidding pursuant to procedures set forth in the Public Contract Code, subject to certain exceptions. Existing law authorizes any state agency that receives delegated authority from the Department of General Services to acquire, without prior approval, materials, supplies, and equipment to make those acquisitions as long as they do not exceed certain cost thresholds.

Existing law requires the Public Utilities Commission to semiannually electronically publish certain data collected for its clearinghouse minority and women business begin delete data base end delete begin insert database end insert for use by governmental agencies and members of the public who request the information.

This bill would require the commission to begin delete publish end delete begin insert make available on its Internet Web site free of charge end insert a copy of each begin delete awarded contract end delete begin insert contract end insert that it enters into begin delete for goods or services end delete and begin delete to identify end delete specified information about the contract and contracting begin delete party on its Internet Web site. end delete begin insert parties. end insert The bill would require this information to be published no less frequently than once a begin delete month and be available free of charge on the commission’s Internet Web site. end delete begin insert month. The bill would subject to these same requirements, commencing July 1, 2017, a contract entered into at the direction of the commission, whether or not the commission is a party to the contract. end insert The bill would also require the commission to make available on its Internet Web site audits conducted by the Department of General Services of the commission’s contracting practices.

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.  

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Public Utilities Commission Contracting Transparency Act of
2016.

SEC. 2.  

Section 324.7 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:

324.7.  

begin delete (a) end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete The end delete begin insert No less frequently than once a month, the end insert
commission begin delete shall, end delete begin insert shall make the following documents and
information available free of charge end insert on its Internet Web begin delete site, end delete
begin delete publish a end delete begin insert site: end insert

begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert A end insert copy of each begin delete awarded end delete contract that the commission enters
begin delete into pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 10300) and
Article 4 (commencing with Section 10335) of Chapter 2 of Part
2 of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and identify the
following information about the contract and contracting party:
the name, address, and point of end delete begin insert into. end insert

begin insert (b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The names, addresses, and points of end insert contact of the begin delete company,
the end delete begin insert parties to the contract. end insert

begin insert (c) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The end insert goods and services begin delete requested, and the end delete begin insert requested, as
applicable. end insert

begin insert (d) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The end insert contract value.

begin delete

(b) The information described in subdivision (a) shall be
published no less frequently than once a month.

(c) The information described in subdivision (a) shall be made
available free of charge on the commission’s Internet Web site.

end delete

SEC. 3.  

Section 324.8 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:

324.8.  

The commission shall make available on its Internet
Web site audits conducted by the Department of General Services
of the commission’s contracting practices.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 324.9 is added to the end insert begin insert Public Utilities Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 324.9. end insert   

Commencing July 1, 2017, the requirements specified
in Section 324.7 apply to a contract entered into at the direction
of the commission, whether or not the commission is a party to the
contract.

end insert