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
information about each contract that it enters into, including specified information about the contract and contracting parties. The bill would require this information to be published no less frequently than once abegin delete month.end deletebegin insert year.end insert 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:
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
2Public Utilities Commission Contracting Transparency Act of
32016.
Section 324.7 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
5read:
No less frequently than once abegin delete month,end deletebegin insert year,end insert the
7commission shall make the following information about each
8contract that the commission enters into available free of charge
9on its Internet Web site:
10(a) The names, addresses, and points of contact of the parties
11to the contract.
12(b) The goods and services requested, as applicable.
13(c) The contract value.
Section 324.8 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
15read:
The commission shall make available on its Internet
17Web site audits conducted by the Department of General Services
18of the commission’s contracting practices.
Section 324.9 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
20read:
Commencing July 1, 2017, the requirements specified
22in Section 324.7 apply to a contract entered into at the direction
23of the commission, whether or not the commission is a party to
24the contract.
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