Bill Text: VA SB380 | 2020 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Virginia Public Procurement Act; determination of nonresponsibility, local option.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-03-06 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0176) [SB380 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-SB380-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§2.2-4302.1 and 2.2-4359 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§2.2-4302.1. Process for competitive sealed bidding.
The process for competitive sealed bidding shall include the following:
1. Issuance of a written Invitation to Bid containing or incorporating by reference the specifications and contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement. Unless the public body has provided for prequalification of bidders, the Invitation to Bid shall include a statement of any requisite qualifications of potential contractors. Any locality may include in the Invitation to Bid criteria that may be used in determining whether a bidder possesses the moral and business integrity and reliability that will assure the good faith performance that is required of a responsible bidder. Such criteria may include a history or good faith assurances of (i) completion by the bidder and any potential subcontractors of specified safety training programs established the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; (ii) participation by the bidder and any potential subcontractors in apprenticeship training programs approved by state agencies or the U.S. Department of Labor; or (iii) maintenance by the bidder and any potential subcontractors of records of compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. No Invitation to Bid for construction services shall condition a successful bidder's eligibility on having a specified experience modification factor. When it is impractical to prepare initially a purchase description to support an award based on prices, an Invitation to Bid may be issued requesting the submission of unpriced offers to be followed by an Invitation to Bid limited to those bidders whose offers have been qualified under the criteria set forth in the first solicitation;
2. Public notice of the Invitation to Bid at least 10 days prior to the date set for receipt of bids by posting on the Department of General Services' central electronic procurement website or other appropriate websites. In addition, public bodies may publish in a newspaper of general circulation. Posting on the Department of General Services' central electronic procurement website shall be required of any state public body. Local public bodies are encouraged to utilize the Department of General Services' central electronic procurement website to provide the public with centralized visibility and access to the Commonwealth's procurement opportunities. In addition, bids may be solicited directly from potential contractors. Any additional solicitations shall include certified businesses selected from a list made available by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity;
3. Public opening and announcement of all bids received;
4. Evaluation of bids based upon the requirements set forth in the Invitation to Bid, which may include special qualifications of potential contractors, life-cycle costing, value analysis, and any other criteria such as inspection, testing, quality, workmanship, delivery, and suitability for a particular purpose, which are helpful in determining acceptability; and
5. Award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. When the terms and conditions of multiple awards are so provided in the Invitation to Bid, awards may be made to more than one bidder.
For the purposes of subdivision 1, "experience modification factor" means a value assigned to an employer as determined by a rate service organization in accordance with its uniform experience rating plan required to be filed pursuant to subsection D of §38.2-1913.
§2.2-4359. Determination of nonresponsibility.
A. Following public opening and announcement of bids received on an Invitation to Bid, the public body shall evaluate the bids in accordance with element 4 of the process for competitive sealed bidding set forth in § 2.2-4302.1. At the same time, the public body shall determine whether the apparent low bidder is responsible. If the public body so determines, then it may proceed with an award in accordance with element 5 of the process for competitive sealed bidding set forth in §2.2-4302.1. If the public body determines that the apparent low bidder is not responsible, it shall proceed as follows:
1. Prior to the issuance of a written determination of nonresponsibility, the public body shall (i) notify the apparent low bidder in writing of the results of the evaluation, (ii) disclose the factual support for the determination, and (iii) allow the apparent low bidder an opportunity to inspect any documents that relate to the determination, if so requested by the bidder within five business days after receipt of the notice.
2. Within ten 10 business days after receipt
of the notice, the bidder may submit rebuttal information challenging the
evaluation. The public body shall issue its written determination of
responsibility based on all information in the possession of the public body,
including any rebuttal information, within five business days of the date the
public body received the rebuttal information. At the same time, the public
body shall notify, with return receipt requested, the bidder in writing of its
determination.
3. Such notice shall state the basis for the determination,
which shall be final unless the bidder appeals the decision within ten 10
days after receipt of the notice by invoking administrative procedures meeting
the standards of §2.2-4365, if available, or in the alternative by instituting
legal action as provided in §2.2-4364.
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to procurements involving the prequalification of bidders and the rights of any potential bidders under such prequalification to appeal a decision that such bidders are not responsible.
B. If, upon appeal pursuant to §2.2-4364 or 2.2-4365, it is determined that the decision of the public body was not (i) an honest exercise of discretion, but rather was arbitrary or capricious or (ii) in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia, applicable state law or regulation, or the terms or conditions of the Invitation to Bid, and the award of the contract in question has not been made, the sole relief shall be a finding that the bidder is a responsible bidder for the contract in question or directed award as provided in subsection A of §2.2-4364 or both.
If it is determined that the decision of the public body was not an honest exercise of discretion, but rather was arbitrary or capricious or not in accordance with the Constitution of Virginia, applicable state law or regulation, or the terms or conditions of the Invitation to Bid, and an award of the contract has been made, the relief shall be as set forth in subsection B of §2.2-4360.
C. A bidder contesting a determination that he is not a responsible bidder for a particular contract shall proceed under this section, and may not protest the award or proposed award under the provisions of § 2.2-4360.
D. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require a public body, when procuring by competitive negotiation, to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous.
E. Any determination that a low bidder is not responsible that uses such factors listed in the Invitation to Bid as a basis for its decision shall be presumptively considered an honest exercise of discretion.
