Terms Used In California Codes > Public Contract Code > Division 2 > Part 3 > Chapter 2 - Bidding on Public Contracts

• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• City: includes city and county and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Public Utilities Code 19
• Committee membership: Legislators are assigned to specific committees by their party. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process.
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• County: includes city and county. See California Health and Safety Code 14
• County: includes city and county. See California Public Utilities Code 18
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
• directors: as used in this part , means the board of directors of the district. See California Public Utilities Code 28508
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• property: includes property real and personal. See California Civil Code 14
• Public agency: as used in this part , includes the State of California, and any county, city and county, city, district, or other political subdivision or public entity of, or organized under the laws of, this State. See California Public Utilities Code 28509
• Public entity: as used in this part , means the state, county, city, city and county, district, public authority, public agency, municipal corporation, or any other political subdivision or public corporation in the state. See California Public Contract Code 1100
• Public works contract: as used in this part , means an agreement for the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of any public structure, building, road, or other public improvement of any kind. See California Public Contract Code 1101
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Rapid transit: as used in this part , means the transportation of passengers and their incidental baggage by any means. See California Public Utilities Code 28505
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• San Francisco Bay area: as used in this part , means the Counties of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo. See California Public Utilities Code 28504
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Public Utilities Code 17
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• will: includes codicil. See California Civil Code 14