Public officers and employees: financial interests.

Existing law prohibits Members of the Legislature, and state, county, district, judicial district, and city officers or employees from being financially interested in any contract made by them in their official capacity, or by any body or board of which they are members. Existing law further prohibits these public officers and employees from being purchasers at any sale, or vendors at any purchase, made by them in their official capacity. A violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would extend the application of those prohibitions to independent contractors who perform a public function, and specifically provide when an independent contractor, or an owner, officer, employee, or agent of the independent contractor, has a financial interest in a contract. By expanding the scope of a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.