(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

                                                                                 SECOND REPRINT                 A.B. 461

 

Assembly Bill No. 461–Assemblyman Parks

 

March 19, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to qualification of bidders on certain contracts for public works in this state. (BDR 28‑591)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: No.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to public works; eliminating the provision providing an exemption from qualifying to bid for a public work of this state; requiring the state public works board to adopt by regulation an additional criteria for the qualification of bidders on a contract for a public work of this state; authorizing the state public works board and the governing body of a local government to determine whether an applicant is qualified to bid by project or for a specified period; allowing the governing body of a local government that does not adopt criteria for the qualification of bidders to accept a bid on a contract for a public work from certain persons; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1.  NRS 338.1373 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    338.1373  1.  A local government shall award a contract for the

1-3  construction, alteration or repair of a public work pursuant to the

1-4  provisions of:

1-5    (a) NRS [338.1375] 338.1377 to 338.1389, inclusive; or

1-6    (b) NRS 338.143, 338.145 and 338.147.

1-7    2.  The provisions of NRS 338.1375 to 338.1383,inclusive, do not

1-8  apply with respect to contracts for the construction, reconstruction,

1-9  improvement and maintenance of highways that are awarded by the

1-10  department of transportation pursuant to NRS 408.313 to 408.433,

1-11  inclusive, and section 1 of Assembly Bill No. 86 of this [act.]session.

1-12    Sec. 2.  NRS 338.1375 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-13  338.1375  1.  [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 338.1383, a public

1-14  body] The state public works board shall not accept a bid on a contract for

1-15  a public work unless the person who submits the bid has qualified pursuant

1-16  to NRS 338.1379 to bid on that contract.


2-1    2.  [The governing body of each local government that sponsors or

2-2  finances a public work may adopt criteria for the qualification of bidders

2-3  on contracts for public works of the local government. If a governing body

2-4  adopts criteria pursuant to this subsection, the governing body shall use the

2-5  criteria to determine the qualification of bidders on contracts for public

2-6  works of the local government.

2-7    3.] The state public works board shall by regulation adopt criteria for

2-8  the qualification of bidders on contracts for public works of this state. The

2-9  criteria adopted by the state public works board pursuant to this

2-10  [subsection] section must be used by the state public works board to

2-11  determine the qualification of bidders on contracts for public works of this

2-12  state.

2-13    3.  The criteria adopted by the state public works board pursuant to

2-14  this section:

2-15    (a) Must be adopted in such a form that the determination of whether

2-16  an applicant is qualified to bid on a contract for a public work does not

2-17  require or allow the exercise of discretion by any one person.

2-18    (b) May include only:

2-19      (1) The financial ability of the applicant to perform a contract;

2-20      (2) The principal personnel of the applicant;

2-21      (3) Whether the applicant has breached any contracts with a public

2-22  agency or person in this state or any other state;

2-23      (4) Whether the applicant has been disqualified from being

2-24  awarded a contract pursuant to NRS 338.017 or 338.1387; and

2-25      (5) The performance history of the applicant concerning other

2-26  recent, similar contracts, if any, completed by the applicant.

2-27    [4.  Before adopting criteria pursuant to this section, the state public

2-28  works board or a governing body shall hold at least one public hearing to

2-29  solicit and evaluate public opinion regarding the criteria to be adopted.

2-30  Notice of such a hearing must be provided by mail at least 10 days before

2-31  the hearing to:

2-32    (a) Construction trade associations; and

2-33    (b) Labor unions representing trades in the building industry.]

2-34    Sec. 3.  NRS 338.1377 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-35    338.1377  1.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 338.1383, the

2-36  governing body of each local government that sponsors or finances a

2-37  public work shall adopt criteria for the qualification of bidders on

2-38  contracts for public works of the local government. The governing body

2-39  shall use the criteria to determine the qualification of bidders on

2-40  contracts for public works of the local government.

2-41    2.  Before adopting criteria pursuant to this section, the governing

2-42  body of a local government shall hold at least one public hearing to

2-43  solicit and evaluate public opinion regarding the criteria to be adopted.

2-44  Notice of such a hearing must be provided by mail at least 10 days before

2-45  the hearing to:

2-46    (a) Construction trade associations in this state; and

2-47    (b) Labor unions representing trades in the building industry in this

2-48  state.


3-1    3.  Thecriteria adopted by [the state public works board or] a

3-2  governing body pursuant to [NRS 338.1375] this section to determine

3-3  whether an applicant is qualified to bid on a contract for a public work:

3-4    [1.] (a) Must be adopted in such a form that the determination of

3-5  whether an applicant is qualified to bid on a contract for a public work does

3-6  not require or allow the exercise of discretion by any one person.

3-7    [2.] (b) May include only:

3-8    [(a)] (1) The financial ability of the applicant to perform [the] a

3-9  contract;

3-10    [(b)] (2) The principal personnel of the applicant;

3-11    [(c)] (3) Whether the applicant has breached any contracts with a public

3-12  agency or person in this state or any other state; and

3-13    [(d)] (4) Whether the applicant has been disqualified from being

3-14  awarded [the] a contract pursuant to NRS 338.017 or 338.1387.

3-15    Sec. 4.  NRS 338.1379 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-16    338.1379  1.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 338.1383, a

3-17  person who wishes to qualify as a bidder on a contract for a public work

3-18  must submit an application to the state public works board or the governing

3-19  body.

3-20    2.  Upon receipt of an application pursuant to subsection 1, the state

3-21  public works board or the governing body shall:

3-22    (a) Investigate the applicant to determine whether he is qualified to bid

3-23  on [the] a contract; and

3-24    (b) After conducting the investigation, determine whether the applicant

3-25  is qualified to bid on [the] a contract. The determination must be made

3-26  within 30 days after receipt of the application.

3-27    3.  The state public works board or the governing body shall notify

3-28  each applicant in writing of its determination. If an application is denied,

3-29  the notice must set forth the reasons for the denial and inform the applicant

3-30  of his right to a hearing pursuant to NRS 338.1381.

3-31    4.  The state public works board or the governing body of a local

3-32  government may determine an applicant is qualified to bid:

3-33    (a) On a specific project;

3-34    (b) On more than one project over a period of 12 months; or

3-35    (c) On more than one project over a period of 24 months.

3-36    5.  The state public works board shall not use any criteria other than

3-37  criteria adopted by regulation pursuant to NRS 338.1375 in determining

3-38  whether to approve or deny an application.

3-39    6.  The [state public works board or the] governing body of a local

3-40  government shall not use any criteria other than the criteria described in

3-41  NRS 338.1377 in determining whether to approve or deny an application.

3-42    [5.] 7.  Financial information and other data pertaining to the net worth

3-43  of an applicant which is gathered by or provided to the state public works

3-44  board or a governing body to determine the financial ability of an applicant

3-45  to perform a contract is confidential and not open to public inspection.

3-46    Sec. 5.  NRS 338.1383 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-47    338.1383  [A public body may] If a local government does not adopt

3-48  criteria for the qualification of bidders on a public work pursuant to NRS

3-49  338.1377, the governing body may only accept a bid on a contract for a


4-1  public work from a person who [does not qualify pursuant to NRS

4-2  338.1379 if the person] holds:

4-3    1.  An unlimited contractor’s license issued by the state contractors’

4-4  board in the branch of general engineering contracting or general building

4-5  contracting, or in both branches, and:

4-6    (a) At the time he submits his bid, he provides a bid bond equal to 10

4-7  percent of the amount of the bid; and

4-8    (b) At the time the contract is awarded, he provides a performance

4-9  bond, a labor and material bond, and a guaranty bond, each equal to 100

4-10  percent of the amount of the contract; or

4-11    2.  A contractor’s license issued by the state contractors’ board that is

4-12  designated in any classification if he:

4-13    (a) Has, in the 5 years immediately preceding the submission of the bid,

4-14  been found to be a responsible contractor in the classification in which his

4-15  contractor’s license is designated;

4-16    (b) Provides a bid bond, a performance bond, a guaranty bond, and a

4-17  labor and material bond in such amounts as the [state public works board

4-18  or] governing body may require; and

4-19    (c) Employs a person determined by the state contractors’ board to be

4-20  qualified to supervise each classification of construction upon which the

4-21  person submitting the bid is bidding.

4-22    Sec. 6.  This bill becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

4-23  H