(a) All awarding departments and local agencies shall accept a certification by any participating state agency whose certification criteria complies with Part 23 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. All awarding departments shall, and local agencies may, accept a certification by any participating local agency whose certification criteria complies with Part 23. Those participating state or local agency certifications shall be deemed sufficient to qualify minority, women, and disadvantaged business enterprises for purposes of contracts that are fully or partially funded by the federal government, contracts fully or partially funded by all state agencies, and contracts fully or partially funded by all local agencies, as defined in Part 3 (commencing with Section 20100).

(b) All awarding departments and local agencies shall accept the certification of a minority, women, or disadvantaged business enterprise made by a participating state agency as valid status of that enterprise, with respect to the identities of the persons certified as having ownership and control of the business enterprise, when awarding contracts to minority, women, and disadvantaged business enterprises. All awarding departments shall, and local agencies may, accept this certification when made by a participating local agency. No awarding department shall require a business enterprise, which has complied with the certification criteria of a participating state or local agency, to comply with any other certification process for certifying minority, women, and disadvantaged business enterprises. However, a participating local agency may impose additional conditions for certification of a business enterprise concerning its status as a minority, women, or disadvantaged business enterprise relating to ethnicity, business size, and business location for participation in local programs.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 210, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995.)