SB 1325: Public contracts: best value procurement: goods.

Existing law imposes requirements on, and authorizes procedures for, public contracting for equipment and services, among other things, by local and state agencies. Existing law authorizes certain procurements to be facilitated through a lowest responsible bidder requirement.

This bill would authorize a state or local agency, public entity, as defined, to award contracts through a best value procurement method, as describe, described, for the purchase of equipment goods with a base value of $250,000 or more. The bill would require the agency public entity to adopt and publish procedures and guidelines for evaluating the qualifications of the bidders to ensure the best value selections are conducted in a fair and impartial manner, as described. The bill would authorize the procedures and guidelines to include the adoption of a high road jobs plan policy that evaluates bidders high road jobs plan commitments as part of the overall score for the public contract, as specified.

This bill would require the solicitation document to include certain information and would direct the agency public entity to use a scoring method based on price and the factors described in the solicitation document, as specified. The bill would require the agency public entity to let any contract for these projects to the selected bidder that represents the best value or reject all bids. The bill would also authorize a public entity to award all contracts for the purchase of municipal fleets by using a best value procurement method, as specified.