California Assembly Bill AB1651 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1651AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 17, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Obernolte JANUARY 12, 2016 An act to add Sections  324.7 and 324.8   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  data base   database  for use by governmental agencies and members of the public who request the information. This bill would require the commission to  publish   make available on its Internet Web site free of charge  a copy of each  awarded contract   contract  that it enters into  for goods or services  and  to identify  specified information about the contract and contracting  party on its Internet Web site.   parties.  The bill would require this information to be published no less frequently than once a  month and be available free of charge on the commission's Internet Web site.   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.  (a)     The   No less frequently than once a month, the  commission  shall,   shall make the following documents and information available free of charge  on its Internet Web  site,   publish a   site:   (a)     A  copy of each  awarded  contract that the commission enters  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   into.   (b)     The names, addresses, and points of  contact of the  company, the   parties to the contract.   (c)     The  goods and services  requested, and the   requested, as applicable.   (d)     The  contract value.  (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.  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.