Section 20193.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law and subject to the limitations of this article, a qualified entity, with approval of its governing body, may utilize an alternative procedure on bidding on projects in excess of two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000).

(2) Only 20 design-build projects shall be authorized under this article.

(3) A qualified entity may award a project using either the lowest responsible bidder or by best value.

(4) For purposes of this article, "qualified entity" means an entity that meets both of the following:

(A) The entity is any of the following:

(i) A city.

(ii) A county.

(iii) A city and county.

(iv) A special district.

(B) The entity operates wastewater facilities, solid waste management facilities, or water recycling facilities.

(b) (1) For contracts for public works projects awarded prior to the effective date of the regulations adopted by the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code, if a qualified entity elects to proceed under this section, the qualified entity shall establish and enforce a labor compliance program containing the requirements outlined in Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code, or it shall contract with a third party to operate a labor compliance program containing the requirements outlined in Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code. This requirement shall not apply to projects where the qualified entity or the design-build entity has entered into a collective bargaining agreement or agreements that bind all of the contractors performing work on the projects.

(2) For contracts for public works projects awarded on or after the effective date of the regulations adopted by the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code, the qualified entity shall reimburse the department for its reasonable and directly related costs of performing prevailing wage monitoring and enforcement on public works projects pursuant to rates established by the department as set forth in subdivision (h) of Section 1771.5 of the Labor Code. All moneys collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in the State Public Works Enforcement Fund created by Section 1771.3 of the Labor Code, and shall be used only for enforcement of prevailing wage requirements on those projects.

(3) In lieu of reimbursing the Department of Industrial Relations for its reasonable and directly related costs of performing monitoring and enforcement on public works projects, the qualified entity may elect to continue operating an existing previously approved labor compliance program to monitor and enforce prevailing wage requirements on the project if it has either not contracted with a third party to conduct its labor compliance program and requests and receives approval from the department to continue its existing program or it enters into a collective bargaining agreement that binds all of the contractors performing work on the project and that includes a mechanism for resolving disputes about the payment of wages.

(c) As used in this section:

(1) "Best value" means a value determined by objective criteria related to price, features, functions, small business contracting plans, past performance, and life-cycle costs.

(2) "Design-build" means a procurement process in which both the design and construction of a project are procured from a single entity.

(3) "Design-build entity" means a partnership, corporation, or other legal entity that is able to provide appropriately licensed contracting, architectural, and engineering services as needed pursuant to a design-build contract.

(4) "Project" means the construction of regional and local wastewater treatment facilities, regional and local solid waste facilities, or regional and local water recycling facilities.

(d) Design-build projects shall progress in a four-step process, as follows:

(1) (A) The qualified entity shall prepare a set of documents setting forth the scope of the project. The documents may include, but are not limited to, the size, type, and desired design character of the project and site, performance specifications covering the quality of materials, equipment, and workmanship, preliminary plans or project layouts, or any other information deemed necessary to describe adequately the qualified entity's needs. The performance specifications and any plans shall be prepared by a design professional who is duly licensed and registered in California.

(B) Any architect or engineer retained by the qualified entity to assist in the development of the project specific documents shall not be eligible to participate in the preparation of a bid with any design-build entity for that project.

(2) (A) Based on the documents prepared in paragraph (1), the qualified entity shall prepare a request for proposals that invites interested parties to submit competitive sealed proposals in the manner prescribed by the qualified entity. The request for proposals shall include, but is not limited to, the following elements:

(i) Identification of the basic scope and needs of the project or contract, the expected cost range, and other information deemed necessary by the qualified entity to inform interested parties of the contracting opportunity, to include the methodology that will be used by the qualified entity to evaluate proposals and specifically if the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder.

(ii) Significant factors that the qualified entity reasonably expects to consider in evaluating proposals, including cost or price and all nonprice related factors.

(iii) The relative importance of weight assigned to each of the factors identified in the request for proposals.

(B) With respect to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A), if a nonweighted system is used, the qualified entity shall specifically disclose whether all evaluation factors other than cost or price when combined are:

(i) Significantly more important than cost or price.

(ii) Approximately equal in importance to cost or price.

(iii) Significantly less important than cost or price.

(C) If the qualified entity chooses to reserve the right to hold discussions or negotiations with responsive bidders, it shall so specify in the request for proposal and shall publish separately or incorporate into the request for proposal applicable rules and procedures to be observed by the qualified entity to ensure that any discussions or negotiations are conducted in good faith.

(3) (A) The qualified entity shall establish a procedure to prequalify design-build entities using a standard questionnaire developed by the qualified entity. In preparing the questionnaire, the qualified entity shall consult with the construction industry, including representatives of the building trades and surety industry. This questionnaire shall require information including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(i) If the design-build entity is a partnership, limited partnership, or other association, a listing of all of the partners, general partners, or association members known at the time of bid submission who will participate in the design-build contract, including, but not limited to, mechanical subcontractors.

(ii) Evidence that the members of the design-build entity have completed, or demonstrated the experience, competency, capability, and capacity to complete projects of similar size, scope, or complexity, and that proposed key personnel have sufficient experience and training to competently manage and complete the design and construction of the project, as well as a financial statement that assures the special district that the design-build entity has the capacity to complete the project.

(iii) The licenses, registration, and credentials required to design and construct the project, including information on the revocation or suspension of any license, credential, or registration.

(iv) Evidence that establishes that the design-build entity has the capacity to obtain all required payment and performance bonding, liability insurance, and errors and omissions insurance.

(v) Any prior serious or willful violation of the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973, contained in Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code or the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596), settled against any member of the design-build entity, and information concerning workers' compensation experience history and worker safety program.

(vi) Information concerning any debarment, disqualification, or removal from a federal, state, or local government public works project. Any instance where an entity, its owners, officers, or managing employees submitted a bid on a public works project and were found to be nonresponsive, or were found by an awarding body not to be a responsible bidder.

(vii) Any instance where the entity, its owner, officers, or managing employees defaulted on a construction contract.

(viii) Any violations of the Contractors' State License Law (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code), excluding alleged violations of federal or state law including the payment of wages, benefits, apprenticeship requirements, or personal income tax withholding, or of Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) withholding requirements settled against any member of the design-build entity.

(ix) Information concerning the bankruptcy or receivership of any member of the design-build entity, including information concerning any work completed by a surety.

(x) Information concerning all settled adverse claims, disputes, or lawsuits between the owner of a public works project and any member of the design-build entity during the five years preceding submission of a bid pursuant to this section, in which the claim, settlement, or judgment exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). Information shall also be provided concerning any work completed by a surety during this period.

(xi) In the case of a partnership or other association, that is not a legal entity, a copy of the agreement creating the partnership or association and specifying that all partners or association members agree to be fully liable for the performance under the design-build contract.

(B) The information required pursuant to this subdivision shall be verified under oath by the entity and its members in the manner in which civil pleadings in civil actions are verified. Information that is not a public record pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code) shall not be open to public inspection.

(4) The qualified entity shall establish a procedure for final selection of the design-build entity. Selection shall be based on either of the following criteria:

(A) A competitive bidding process resulting in lump-sum bids by the prequalified design-build entities. Awards shall be made to the lowest responsible bidder.

(B) A qualified entity may use a design-build competition based upon best value and other criteria set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d). The design-build competition shall include the following elements:

(i) Competitive proposals shall be evaluated by using only the criteria and selection procedures specifically identified in the request for proposal. However, the following minimum factors shall each represent at least 10 percent of the total weight of consideration given to all criteria factors; price, technical design and construction expertise, life-cycle costs over 15 years or more, skilled labor force availability, and acceptable safety record.

(ii) Once the evaluation is complete, the top three responsive bidders shall be ranked sequentially from the most advantageous to the least.

(iii) The award of the contract shall be made to the responsible bidder whose proposal is determined, in writing, to be the most advantageous.

(iv) Notwithstanding any provision of this code, upon issuance of a contract award, the qualified entity shall publicly announce its award, identifying the contractor to which the award is made, along with a written decision supporting its contract award and stating the basis of the award. The notice of award shall also include the qualified entity's second and third ranked design-build entities.

(v) For purposes of this paragraph, "skilled labor force availability" shall be determined by the existence of an agreement with a registered apprenticeship program, approved by the California Apprenticeship Council, which has graduated apprentices in each of the preceding five years. This graduation requirement shall not apply to programs providing apprenticeship training for any craft that has been deemed by the Department of Labor and the Department of Industrial Relations to be an apprenticeable craft in the five years prior to enactment of this act.

(vi) For purposes of this paragraph, a bidder's "safety record" shall be deemed "acceptable" if their experience modification rate for the most recent three-year period is an average of 1.00 or less, and their average total recordable injury/illness rate and average lost work rate for the most recent three-year period does not exceed the applicable statistical standards for its business category, or if the bidder is a party to an alternative dispute resolution system as provided for in Section 3201.5 of the Labor Code.

(e) (1) Any design-build entity that is selected to design and build a project pursuant to this section shall possess or obtain sufficient bonding to cover the contract amount for nondesign services, and errors and omissions insurance coverage sufficient to cover all design and architectural services provided in the contract. This section does not prohibit a general or engineering contractor from being designated the lead entity on a design-build entity for the purposes of purchasing necessary bonding to cover the activities of the design-build entity.

(2) Any payment or performance bond written for the purposes of this section shall be written using a bond form developed by the qualified entity.

(f) All subcontractors that were not listed by the design-build entity in accordance with clause (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) shall be awarded by the design-build entity in accordance with the design-build process set forth by the qualified entity in the design-build package. All subcontractors bidding on contracts pursuant to this section shall be afforded the protections contained in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 4100) of Part 1. The design-build entity shall do both of the following:

(1) Provide public notice of the availability of work to be subcontracted in accordance with the publication requirements applicable to the competitive bidding process of the qualified entity.

(2) Provide a fixed date and time on which the subcontracted work will be awarded in accordance with the procedure established pursuant to this section.

(g) The minimum performance criteria and design standards established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) shall be adhered to by the design-build entity. Any deviations from those standards may only be allowed by written consent of the qualified entity.

(h) The qualified entity may retain the services of a design professional or construction project manager, or both, throughout the course of the project in order to ensure compliance with this section.

(i) Contracts awarded pursuant to this section shall be valid until the project is completed.

(j) Nothing in this section is intended to affect, expand, alter, or limit any rights or remedies otherwise available at law.

(k) (1) If the qualified entity elects to award a project pursuant to this section, retention proceeds withheld by the qualified entity from the design-build entity shall not exceed 5 percent if a performance and payment bond, issued by an admitted surety insurer, is required in the solicitation of bids.

(2) In a contract between the design-build entity and the subcontractor, and in a contract between a subcontractor and any subcontractor thereunder, the percentage of the retention proceeds withheld may not exceed the percentage specified in the contract between the qualified entity and the design-build entity. If the design-build entity provides written notice to any subcontractor who is not a member of the design-build entity, prior to or at the time the bid is requested, that a bond may be required and the subcontractor subsequently is unable or refuses to furnish a bond to the design-build entity, then the design-build entity may withhold retention proceeds in excess of the percentage specified in the contract between the qualified entity and the design-build entity from any payment made by the design-build entity to the subcontractor.

(l) Each qualified entity that elects to proceed under this section and uses the design-build method on a public works project shall do both of the following:

(1) Notify the Legislative Analyst's Office upon initiation of the project and upon completion of the project.

(2) Submit to the Legislative Analyst's Office, upon completion of the project, a report containing a description of the public works project procured through the design-build process pursuant to this section and completed after January 1, 2009. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following information:

(A) The type of project.

(B) The gross square footage of the project.

(C) The design-build entity that was awarded the project.

(D) The estimated and actual project costs.

(E) A description of any written protests concerning any aspect of the solicitation, bid, proposal, or award of the design-build project, including the resolution of the protests.

(F) An assessment of the prequalification process and criteria.

(G) An assessment of the effect of retaining 5-percent retention on the project.

(H) A description of the Labor Force Compliance Program and an assessment of the project impact, where required.

(I) A description of the method used to award the contract. If best value was the method, the report shall describe the factors used to evaluate the bid, including the weighting of each factor and an assessment of the effectiveness of the methodology.

(J) An assessment of the project impact of "skilled labor force availability."

(K) An assessment of the most appropriate uses for the design-build approach.

(m) Any qualified entity that elects not to use the authority granted by this section may submit a report to the Legislative Analyst's Office explaining why the qualified entity elected to not use the design-build method.

(n) (1) In order to comply with paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the Office of Planning and Research is required to maintain the list of entities that have applied and are eligible to be qualified for this authority.

(2) Each entity that is interested in proceeding under the authority in this section must apply to the Office of Planning and Research.

(A) The application to proceed must be in writing.

(B) An entity must have complied with the California Environmental Quality Act review process pursuant to Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code prior to its application, and must include its approved notice of determination or notice of completion in its application.

(3) The Office of Planning and Research must approve or deny an application, in writing, within 30 days. The authority to deny an application shall only be exercised if the conditions set forth in either or both paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of this subdivision have not been satisfied.

(4) An entity utilizing this section must, after it determines it no longer is interested in using this authority, notify the Office of Planning and Research in writing within 30 days of its determination. Upon notification, the Office of Planning and Research may contact any previous applicants, denied pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), to inform them of the availability to proceed under this section.

(o) The Legislative Analyst shall report to the Legislature on the use of the design-build method by qualified entities pursuant to this section, including the information listed in subdivision (l). The report may include recommendations for modifying or extending this section, and shall be submitted on either of the following dates, whichever occurs first:

(1) Within one year of the completion of the 20 projects, if the projects are completed prior to January 1, 2019.

(2) No later than January 1, 2020.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 378, Sec. 18. Effective January 1, 2012. Repealed on or before January 1, 2020, pursuant to Section 20195.)