Postsecondary education: Small Business Procurement and Contract Act.

Existing law, the Small Business Procurement and Contract Act, permits a state agency to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements. Existing law establishes provisions regarding the award of contracts for goods and services applicable to the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, and establishes criminal penalties for the violation of those provisions. This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, authorize the California State University and, subject to a specified provision, a community college district to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $5,000 and $250,000 to a certified small business, including a microbusiness and a disabled veteran business enterprise, without complying with specified competitive bidding requirements. The bill would include among those provisions that given contracting by the University of California similar authority to award a contract for goods, services, or information technology with a value of between $100,000 and $250,000. The bill would declare that it is not applicable to the University of California except to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, make it applicable. By changing the definition of existing crimes, this 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.