(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), if a person is convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or is found to be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80, the executive director of the board may permanently disqualify that person from receiving any moneys from the fund. If the executive director of the board determines that the disqualified person is a contractor or consultant, a claimant shall not submit invoices to the fund for any work performed or directed by that person.

(2) For purposes of this section, “contractor or consultant” means a person whose professional services are engaged to perform work that is the subject of a claim specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 25299.57.

(b) If the person convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or found to be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80 is a claimant, the executive director of the board may permanently disqualify the claimant from further participation in the fund, with respect to only the fund claims that are the subject of that conviction under Section 25299.80.5 or that civil liability under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80, and only if the executive director makes a finding that the alleged violation is knowing, willful, or intentional.

(c) If the person convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or found to be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80 is a contractor or consultant, the executive director of the board may permanently disqualify the contractor or consultant from further participation in the fund, including participation in corrective action for fund claims that are not the subject of that conviction under Section 25299.80.5 or civil liability under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80, only if the executive director makes one of the following findings:

(1) The alleged violation is knowing, willful, or intentional.

(2) The contractor or consultant received a material economic benefit from the action that caused the violation.

(3) The alleged violation is chronic or the contractor or consultant is a recalcitrant violator, as determined pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 13399 of the Water Code.

(d) In addition to the requirements of subdivisions (b) and (c), in determining the extent to which a person, including, but not limited to, a claimant, contractor, or consultant, convicted under Section 25299.80.5 or found to be civilly liable under Section 25299.78 or 25299.80 may be disqualified from receiving any money from the fund, including the extent to which the person may be reimbursed for pending or future claims from the fund, the executive director of the board, or the court, as the case may be, shall take into account the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation, the person’s ability to pay, any prior history of misrepresentations by the person to the board, or local agency, any economic benefits or savings that resulted or would have resulted from the false statement, and any other matters as justice may require.

(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 547, Sec. 20. (SB 445) Effective September 25, 2014.)