BILL NUMBER: SB 1265INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Hueso FEBRUARY 21, 2014 An act to add Section 14842.7 to the Government Code, relating to public contracts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1265, as introduced, Hueso. Public contracts: small business participation: pilot program. 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, or to a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements, as long as the state agency obtains price quotations from two or more certified small businesses or from two or more disabled veteran business ecterprises. This bill would require the Department of General Services to develop a pilot program to increase supplier competition for contracts under the act for the procurement of goods. The bill would require the department, in developing the pilot program, to ensure that a streamlined procurement process for contracts with state-certified small business or disabled veterans business enterprises continues, while increasing the opportunities for certified small businesses to compete for those contracting opportunities. 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. Section 14842.7 is added to the Government Code, to read: 14842.7. The department shall develop a pilot program to increase supplier competition for contracts under this chapter for the procurement of goods. The department, in developing the pilot program, shall ensure that the streamlined procurement process for contracts with state-certified small business or disabled veterans business enterprises, known as the SB/DVBE Option, continues, while increasing the opportunities for certified small businesses to compete for those contracting opportunities. As used in this section, "goods" excludes information technology.