Amended in Senate June 20, 2016

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 324.7, 324.8, and 324.9 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 database for use by governmental agencies and members of the public who request the information.

This bill would require the commission to make available on its Internet Web site free of charge begin delete a copy of end delete begin insert information about end insert each contract that it enters begin delete into and end delete begin insert into, including end insert specified information about the contract and contracting parties. The bill would require this information to be published no less frequently than once a 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. 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.  

No less frequently than once a month, the commission
shall make the following begin delete documents and end delete information begin insert about each
contract that the commission enters into end insert available free of charge
on its Internet Web site:

begin delete

(a) A copy of each contract that the commission enters into.

end delete begin delete

(b)

end delete

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

begin delete

(c)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert b) end insert  The goods and services requested, as applicable.

begin delete

(d)

end delete

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

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.

SEC. 4.  

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

324.9.  

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.