SB 502, as amended, Block. University of California: bidding requirements.
Existing law requires the Regents of the University of California, except as specified, to let any contract for a project to the lowest responsible bidder. Existing law also provides that where the Regents of the University of California are of the view that a project of $100,000 or less does not require the application of all provisions of law relating to competitive bidding by the university, the regents shall solicit bids in writing and award the work to the lowest responsible bidder or reject all bids.
This bill would raise this dollar threshold for the cost of a project tobegin delete $750,000end deletebegin insert $640,000end insert.
Existing law, until January 1, 2017, establishes a pilot program to authorize all campuses of the University of California, including the medical centers, to award best value contracts based on best value procedures, as specified, for projects over $1,000,000. Existing law requires the University of California, for purposes of this pilot program, to establish a procedure for the prequalification of bidders, invite prequalified bidders to submit sealed bids as part of a solicitation for bids, and to award the contract to the bidder whose bid is determined to be the best value to the university.
The bill would require the Regents of the University of California, with respect to projects that do not require the application of all competitive bidding provisions, to establish a procedure to qualify and rate a bidder for work to be awarded when the cost of the project exceeds $300,000 but does not exceedbegin delete $750,000,end deletebegin insert
$640,000,end insert as specified. The bill would also require each campus or facility to publicly post a brief description of the project, the awarded amount, and contractor’s name.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 10504.5 of the Public Contract Code is
2amended to read:
(a) Where the nature of the work, in the opinion of
4the Regents of the University of California, is such that the
5application of all of the provisions of this chapter in connection
6with that work is not required, and the cost of the project does not
7exceedbegin delete seven hundred fiftyend deletebegin insert six hundred fortyend insert thousand dollars
8begin delete ($750,000),end deletebegin insert ($640,000),end insert the regents shall solicit bids in writing
9
and shall award the work to the lowest responsible bidder or reject
10all bids.
11(b) (1) The Regents of the University of California shall
12establish a procedure to qualify and rate a bidder for work to be
13awarded pursuant to subdivision (a) when the cost of the project
14exceeds three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) but does not
15exceedbegin delete seven hundred fiftyend deletebegin insert six hundred fortyend insert thousand dollars
16begin delete ($750,000)end deletebegin insert ($640,000)end insert.
17(2) The procedures shall require a bidder to complete and submit
18a qualification questionnaire. The qualification questionnaire shall
19cover, at a minimum, the issues covered by the Model
20
Pre-qualification Questionnaire developed in 1999 by the
21Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to subdivision (a) of
22Section 20101. The procedures shall also require a bidder to
23complete and submit a financial statement, unless the bidder is a
24contractor who has qualified as a Small Business Administration
25entity pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 14837
P3 1of the Government Code. A bidder who is required to complete
2and submit a qualification questionnaire shall include the general
3contractor and, if utilized, the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing
4subcontractor, except that the nonqualification of a subcontractor
5shall not disqualify an otherwise qualified contractor.
6(3) Each campus or facility shall adopt and apply a uniform
7system of rating a bidder on the basis of the completed qualification
8questionnaire
and, if available, financial statements to determine
9the minimum requirements permitted for qualification to submit
10a bid. Each campus or facility may process qualification
11questionnaires and financial statements on a quarterly basis to
12qualify a prospective bidder for a period of one calendar year from
13the date of qualification.
14(4) Upon award to the lowest responsible bidder, each campus
15or facility shall publicly post on its Internet Web site a brief
16description of the project and the awarded amount along with the
17name of the contractor who is the lowest responsible bidder.
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