Section 16857.

(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to:

(1) Knowingly and with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtain, retain, attempt to obtain or retain, or aid another in fraudulently obtaining or retaining or attempting to obtain or retain, acceptance or certification as a minority, women, or disabled veteran business enterprise, for the purposes of this chapter.

(2) Willfully and knowingly make a false statement with the intent to defraud, whether by affidavit, report, or other representation, to a state official or employee for the purpose of influencing the acceptance or certification or denial of acceptance or certification of any entity as a minority, women, or disabled veteran business enterprise.

(3) Willfully and knowingly obstruct, impede, or attempt to obstruct or impede, any state official or employee who is investigating the qualifications of a business entity which has requested acceptance or certification as a minority, women, or disabled veteran business enterprise.

(4) Knowingly and with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtain, attempt to obtain, or aid another person in fraudulently obtaining or attempting to obtain, public moneys to which the person or firm is not entitled under this chapter.

(5) Establish, or cooperate in the establishment of, or exercise control over, a firm found to have violated any of paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive. Any person or firm who violates this paragraph is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the first violation, and a civil penalty not to exceed two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for each additional or subsequent violation.

(6) This section shall not apply to minority and women business enterprise programs conducted by public utility companies pursuant to the California Public Utilities Commission's General Order 156.

(b) Any person who violates paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for the first violation, and a civil penalty not to exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for each additional or subsequent violation.

(c) Any person or firm that violates subdivision (a) shall, in addition to the penalties provided for in subdivision (b), be suspended from bidding on, or participating as either a contractor or subcontractor in, any contract awarded by the state for a period of not less than 30 days nor more than one year. However, for an additional or subsequent violation, the period of suspension shall be extended for a period of up to three years. Any person or firm that fails to satisfy the penalties imposed pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be prohibited from further contracting with the state until the penalties are satisfied.

(d) The awarding department shall report all alleged violations of this section to the Office of Small and Minority Business. The office shall subsequently report all alleged violations to the Attorney General who shall determine whether to bring a civil action against any person or firm for violation of this section.

(e) The office shall monitor the status of all reported violations and shall maintain and make available to all state departments a central listing of all firms and persons who have been determined to have committed violations resulting in suspension.

(f) No awarding department shall enter into any contract with any person or firm suspended for violating this section during the period of the person's or firm's suspension. No awarding department shall award a contract to any contractor utilizing the services of any person or firm as a subcontractor suspended for violating this section during the period of the person's or firm's suspension.

(g) The awarding department shall check the central listing provided by the office to verify that the person, firm, or contractor to whom the contract is being awarded, or any person, or firm, being utilized as a subcontractor by that person, firm, or contractor, is not under suspension for violating this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1032, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1994.)