CA AB1809

Expands state contracting authority to award contracts for services and information technology valued between $5,000-$500,000 to certified small businesses or disabled veteran business enterprises (DVBEs) without competitive bidding, effective March 1, 2020 through March 1, 2024, if price quotations are obtained from at least 2 qualified vendors.

Requires the Department of General Services to establish methods for tracking DVBE participation goals, provide guidance on processing complaints about program abuse, and requires awarding departments to post lists of contracts with DVBE certifications on their websites for at least 3 years.

Authorizes any public prosecutor to bring civil actions against persons who knowingly fraudulently represent that a DVBE is performing commercially useful functions to obtain bid preferences, subject to Attorney General coordination requirements.

Requires bid submissions to include DVBE certification numbers, contact information, and a sworn certification that subcontracted work serves a commercially useful function, making false certifications subject to perjury penalties.

Modifies the state DVBE Program Advocate role to actively support and facilitate DVBE participation and marketing, and requires agency advocates to identify contracting opportunities and work types where DVBE contractors are difficult to locate.