(a) The administering agency for the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program is the Department of General Services, except in the case of contracts for professional bond services. The Department of General Services shall consult with the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Advocate, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to Section 999.11, on all matters relating to the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program. The Director of General Services shall adopt written policies and guidelines establishing a uniform process for state contracting that would provide a disabled veteran business enterprise participation incentive to bidders. The incentive program shall be used by all state agencies when awarding contracts.

(b) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish a method of monitoring adherence to the goals specified in Sections 999.1 and 999.2.

(2) Promote the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program to the fullest extent possible.

(3) Maintain complete records of its promotional efforts.

(4) Establish a system to track the effectiveness of its efforts to promote the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program, which shall include regular, periodic surveys of newly certified disabled veteran business enterprises to determine how they learned of the program, why they became certified, and what their experience with awarding departments has been.

(c) An awarding department shall not credit toward the department’s 3-percent goal state funds expended on a contract with a disabled veteran business enterprise that is not certified at the time of the award or does not meet and maintain the certification requirements.

(d) Upon completion of an awarded contract for which a commitment to achieve a disabled veteran business enterprise goal was made, an awarding department shall require the prime contractor that entered into a subcontract with a disabled veteran business enterprise to certify to the awarding department all of the following:

(1) The total amount the prime contractor received under the contract.

(2) The name and address of the disabled veteran business enterprise that participated in the performance of the contract.

(3) The amount and percentage of work the prime contractor committed to provide to one or more disabled veteran business enterprises under the requirements of the contract and the amount each disabled veteran business enterprise received from the prime contractor.

(4) That all payments under the contract have been made to the disabled veteran business enterprise. Upon request by the awarding department, the prime contractor shall provide proof of payment for the work.

(e) An awarding department shall keep that certification on file. A person or entity that knowingly provides false information shall be subject to a civil penalty for each violation in the minimum amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) and the maximum amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). An action for a civil penalty under this subdivision may be brought by any public prosecutor in the name of the people of the State of California and the penalty imposed shall be enforceable as a civil judgment.

(f) After being awarded a contract, the prime contractor shall use the disabled veteran business enterprise subcontractors or suppliers proposed in the bid or proposal to the state unless a substitution is requested and approved. The prime contractor shall request the substitution in writing to the awarding department and receive approval from both the awarding department and the Department of General Services in writing prior to the commencement of any work by the proposed subcontractor or supplier. A substitution pursuant to this subdivision shall additionally comply with regulations adopted by the Department of General Services.

(g) The administering agency shall adopt rules and regulations for the purpose of implementing this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 676, Sec. 4. (AB 230) Effective January 1, 2020.)