The procurement process for progressive design-build projects shall progress as follows:

(a) The department shall determine the scope and estimated price of the design-build project. The determination may include, but need not be limited to, the size, type, and desired design character of the project and any other information deemed necessary to describe adequately the department’s needs.

(b) The department shall prepare and issue a request for qualifications. The request for qualifications shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following elements:

(1) Identification of the basic scope and needs of the design-build project or contract, the expected cost range, the methodology that will be used by the department to evaluate qualifications, the procedure for final selection of the design-build entity, and any other information deemed necessary by the director to inform interested parties of the contracting opportunity.

(2) Significant factors that the department reasonably expects to consider in evaluating qualifications, including technical design and construction expertise, and all other nonprice-related factors. The department may require that a cost estimate, including the detailed basis for the estimate, be included in the design-build entities’ responses and consider those costs in evaluating the statements of qualifications.

(3) The relative importance or the weight assigned to each of the factors identified in the request for qualifications.

(4) A request for a statement of qualifications with a template for the statement that is prepared by the department. The department shall require all of the following information in the statement and indicate, in the template, that all of the following information is required:

(A) If the design-build entity is a privately held corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or joint venture, a listing of all of the design-build entity’s shareholders, partners, or members who, at the time the statement of qualification is submitted, the design-build entity knows will perform work on the design-build project if the design-build entity is selected by the department.

(B) Evidence that the members of the design-build team have completed, or have demonstrated the experience, competency, capability, and capacity to complete, projects of similar size, scope, or complexity, and that proposed key personnel have sufficient experience and training to competently manage and complete the design and construction of the design-build project, and a financial statement that ensures that the design-build entity has the capacity to complete the design-build project.

(C) The licenses, registration, and credentials required to design and construct the design-build project, including, but not limited to, information on the revocation or suspension of any license, credential, or registration.

(D) Evidence that establishes that the design-build entity has the capacity to obtain all required payment and performance bonding, liability insurance, and errors and omissions insurance.

(E) Information concerning workers’ compensation experience history and a worker safety program.

(F) If the proposed design-build entity is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, or other legal entity, a copy of the organizational documents or agreement committing to form the organization.

(G) An acceptable safety record. A design-build entity’s safety record shall be deemed acceptable if its experience modification rate for the most recent three-year period is an average of 1.00 or less, and its average total recordable injury or illness rate and average lost work rate for the most recent three-year period does not exceed the applicable statistical standards for its business category or if the design-build entity is a party to an alternative dispute resolution system as provided for in § 3201.5 of the Labor Code.

(H) A full disclosure regarding each of the following, if applicable:

(i) Any serious or willful violation of Part 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Division 5 of the Labor Code or the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596), settled or otherwise resolved against any member of the design-build team.

(ii) Any debarment, disqualification, or removal of any member of the design-build team or its owners, officers, or managing employees from a federal, state, or local government public works project.

(iii) Any instance in which a member of the design-build team, or its owners, officers, or managing employees, submitted a bid on a public works project and were found to be nonresponsive or were found by an awarding body not to be a responsible bidder.

(iv) Any instance in which any member of the design-build team, or its owners, officers, or managing employees, defaulted on a construction contract.

(v) Any violations of the Contractors State License Law, as described in Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, by a member of the design-build team or its owners, officers, or managing employees, including alleged violations of Federal or state law regarding the payment of wages, benefits, apprenticeship requirements, or personal income tax withholding, or federal Insurance Contribution Act withholding requirements settled against any member of the design-build entity.

(vi) Any bankruptcy or receivership of any member of the design-build team, including, but not limited to, information concerning any work completed by a surety.

(vii) Any adverse claims, disputes, or lawsuits between the owner of a public works project and any member of the design-build team during the five years preceding submission of a bid under this article, in which the claim, settlement, or judgment exceeded fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and was settled or otherwise resolved against the design-build entity or any member of the design-build team. Information shall also be provided concerning any work completed by a surety during this five-year period.

(viii) Any adverse claims, disputes, or lawsuits between any member of the design-build team and any employee of that entity during the five years preceding submission of a bid under this article, in which the claim, settlement, or judgment exceeded fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and was settled or otherwise resolved against the entity.

(5) The information provided by a design-build entity in response to a request for qualifications shall be certified under penalty of perjury by the design-build entity and its general partners or joint venture members.

(c) (1) Following the deadline for submission of a statement of qualifications, the department shall review the submissions. The department may evaluate submissions based solely upon the information provided in each design-build entity’s statement of qualifications. The department may also interview some or all of the design-build entities to further evaluate their qualifications for the design-build project. The department may also hold discussions or negotiations with design-build entities using the process described in the department’s request for qualifications.

(2) For each request for qualifications, the department shall generate a final list of qualified design-build entities that participated in the request for qualifications before entering into negotiations for the contract or contracts to which the request for qualifications applies.

(3) If submissions in response to a request for qualifications provide sufficient information to determine which qualified design-build entity has offered the best value to the public, the department may enter into negotiations with that entity concerning contract terms and award a contract for design and preconstruction services to that entity. Such contract shall provide for the subsequent negotiation of terms governing the construction phase of the design-build project. If the department is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with that entity for design and preconstruction services, the department may undertake negotiations with a separate qualified design-build entity that participated in the request for qualifications process.

(4) If additional information is necessary to determine which qualified design-build entity offers the best value to the public, the department may prepare a further request for proposals, based on the documents prepared as described in subdivision (a), that invites qualified design-build entities identified pursuant to paragraph (2) to submit competitive sealed proposals in the manner prescribed by the department.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, upon issuance of a contract award, the director shall publicly announce its award, identifying the design-build entity to which the award is made, along with a statement regarding the basis of the award. The statement regarding the contract award and the contract file shall provide sufficient information to satisfy an external audit.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 58, Sec. 3. (SB 146) Effective July 10, 2023. Repealed as of December 31, 2033, pursuant to Section 10215.8.)