Public contracts: consulting services: community choice aggregators.

Existing law prohibits a person, firm, or subsidiary thereof, which has been awarded a consulting services contract, from submitting a bid for, or being awarded a contract for, the provision of services, procurement of goods or supplies, or any other related action which is required, suggested, or otherwise deemed appropriate in the end product of the consulting services contract, except as specified. The Public Utilities Act provides that customers of an electrical corporation are entitled to aggregate their electric loads as members of their local community with community choice aggregators. It authorizes public entities to serve as a community choice aggregator under specified conditions. This bill would prohibit a person, firm, or subsidiary thereof, which has been awarded a consulting services contract for advising a public entity on the feasibility of creating a community choice aggregator, as defined, from submitting a bid for, or being awarded a contract for, any work, including the procurement of electric supply and renewable energy credits, or any other related action that is required, suggested, or otherwise deemed appropriate in the end product of the consulting services contract. By imposing new restrictions on local government entities with respect to their contract procedures, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.