Public contracts: bid preferences: employee health care coverage.

Existing law imposes various requirements with respect to contracting by public entities. This bill would require a state agency awarding specified contracts to provide a 5% bid preference to that portion of the total bid performed by a bidder or subcontractor if its employees, during the time that they were employed, were covered by credible health care coverage, as defined, during the 12-month period immediately preceding submission of the bid. The bill would establish a procedure for a bidder to claim a bid preference by submitting separate statements from the bidder and each of its qualified listed subcontractors, on a form developed by the Department of General Services with the Department of Industrial Relations, each certifying that it qualifies for the bid preference. The bill would require the bidder and contractors to continue to cover its employees with credible health care coverage, as specified. The bill would impose civil penalties for bidder and contractor violations of those requirements.