Existing law allows a public agency to elect to be subject to the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act, which authorizes bidding procedures for public projects, as specified. The act establishes the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission, which is charged with specified duties, including recommending for adoption by the Controller uniform construction cost accounting procedures for implementation by public agencies in the performance of, or in contracting for, construction on public projects. Under the act, each commission member serves without compensation, but is required to be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred, and the commission is authorized to accept grants from federal, state, or local public agencies, or private foundations or individuals, to assist it in carrying out its duties.

Existing law requires the commission to review the accounting procedures of any participating public agency upon evidence of an interested party that the work undertaken by the public agency (1) is to be performed by the public agency after rejection of all bids, claiming work can be done less expensively by the public agency; (2) has exceeded the force account limits; or (3) has been improperly classified as maintenance. In any of those circumstances, a request for commission review may be made within 5 business days and the commission is required to commence review immediately and conclude within 30 days from the receipt of the request.

This bill would extend the time to 8 business days to request a commission review, to 45 days for a commission review of a public agency project that is to be performed after rejection of all bids, and to 90 days for a commission review of work for which evidence was provided that the work has exceeded the force account limits or has been improperly classified as maintenance.