(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4a-51 or 4a-52, the chief executive officer of each constituent unit of the state system of higher education or, in the case of the Connecticut State University System, the chief executive officer of a state university, is authorized to purchase supplies, materials, equipment, contractual services, as defined in section 4a-50, execute personal service agreements as defined in section 4-212, lease personal property in accordance with section 10a-151b, and undertake printing, publishing and microfilming for such constituent unit or institution. The provisions of sections 4-212 to 4-219, inclusive, and section 9 of public act 93-336* shall not apply to personal service agreements executed pursuant to this section.

(b) The chief executive officer of each constituent unit of the state system of higher education or, in the case of the Connecticut State University System, the chief executive officer of a state university may disqualify any person, firm or corporation, for up to two years, from bidding on contracts with the constituent unit or institutions under its jurisdiction, pursuant to section 10a-151b, for supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services required by the constituent unit or institution, for one or more causes specified in subsection (d) of this section. The chief executive officer may initiate a disqualification proceeding only after consulting with the Attorney General and shall provide notice and an opportunity to be heard to the person, firm or corporation which is the subject of the proceeding. The chief executive officer shall issue a written decision within ninety days of the last date of such hearing and state in the decision the reasons for the action taken, and if the person, firm or corporation is being disqualified, the period of the disqualification. The chief executive officer shall send the decision to such person, firm or corporation by certified mail, return receipt requested, and a copy of the decision shall be sent to the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The written decision shall be a final decision for the purposes of sections 4-180 and 4-183.

(c) Before initiating such a proceeding or during the proceeding, the chief executive officer may, after consulting with the Attorney General, suspend the person, firm or corporation from being considered for the awarding of such a contract for such supplies, materials, equipment or contractual services, if the chief executive officer determines that there is probable cause for disqualification under subsection (b) of this section. No such suspension shall exceed three months. The chief executive officer may suspend such a person, firm or corporation only by issuing a written decision setting forth the reasons for, and the period of the suspension. The chief executive officer shall send the decision to such person, firm or corporation by certified mail, return receipt requested, and a copy of the decision shall be sent to the Commissioner of Administrative Services.

(d) Causes for disqualification or suspension from bidding on contracts shall include the following:

(1) Conviction or entry of a plea of guilty for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of such contract or subcontract;

(2) Conviction or entry of a plea of guilty under state or federal law for embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property or any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty which affects responsibility as a state contractor;

(3) Conviction or entry of a plea of guilty under state or federal antitrust, collusion or conspiracy statutes arising out of the submission of bids or proposals;

(4) Noncompliance with contract provisions, of a character regarded by the chief executive officer to be of such gravity as to indicate a lack of responsibility to perform as a contractor, including deliberate failure, without good cause, to perform in accordance with specifications or time limits provided in a contract;

(5) A recent record of failure to perform or of unsatisfactory performance in accordance with the terms of one or more contracts, unless such failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance was caused by acts beyond the control of the contractor or supplier; or

(6) Any other cause the chief executive officer determines to be so serious or compelling as to affect responsibility as a contractor, including disqualification by another government entity, having caused financial loss to the state or having caused a serious delay or inability of state officials to carry out their duties on a past contract.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 4a-51 and 4a-52, the Commissioner of Administrative Services may delegate authority to any state agency to purchase supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services, consistent with section 4a-67c, if the commissioner determines, in writing, that (1) such delegation would reduce state purchasing costs or result in more efficient state purchasing, and (2) the agency has employees with experience and expertise in state purchasing statutes, regulations and procedures. In determining which agencies to delegate such purchasing authority to, the commissioner shall give preference to agencies which have exceeded the set-aside requirements of section 4a-60g. An agency to whom such authority is delegated shall comply with all such statutes, regulations and procedures and shall submit annual reports to the Commissioner of Administrative Services on its purchase orders, in a format prescribed by the commissioner. The Commissioner of Administrative Services or his or her designee shall periodically review each such delegation of purchasing authority and may revoke or modify a delegation upon determining that the agency has violated any provision of the delegation or that there is evidence of insufficient competition in the competitive bidding or competitive negotiation process.

(P.A. 88-192, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-91; P.A. 91-256, S. 8, 69; P.A. 93-201, S. 2, 24; P.A. 95-285, S. 1, 9; P.A. 96-88, S. 3, 9; P.A. 00-66, S. 27; P.A. 12-205, S. 4.)

*Note: Section 9 of public act 93-336 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.

History: P.A. 90-91 added Subsec. (b) permitting commissioner of administrative services to authorize the department of correction to purchase supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services for industrial activities when amount of purchase is $20,000 or less; P.A. 91-256 in Subsec. (a) added references to Sec. 4a-51, 4a-68, 4a-69 and 4a-70, language concerning printing, publishing, and microfilming and language concerning the Connecticut State University system and removed language concerning delegation of authority by the commissioner of administrative services and a $20,000 limitation on purchases which could be delegated; P.A. 93-201 amended Subsec. (a) to add the language on personal service agreements and on the leasing of personal property, relettered Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (e), and inserted new Subsecs. (b) to (d), inclusive, on the disqualification of persons, firms or corporations from bidding on contracts with a constituent unit, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-285 allowed Commissioner of Administrative Services to delegate purchasing authority to all state agencies, instead of to Department of Correction only, established procedures re delegations of authority, and required commissioner to report annually to General Assembly re such delegations, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-88 deleted references to repealed Secs. 4a-68, 4a-69 and 4a-70 in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 00-66 deleted reference to repealed Sec. 4-210 from Subsec. (a); P.A. 12-205 amended Subsec. (e) to make technical changes and delete annual report requirement, effective July 1, 2012.