Opinion ID: 1224847
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Preexisting Legislation

Text: From time to time before adopting Chapter 433, the Legislature had enacted provisions governing the state's authority to contract with private entities. These sections appear consistent with the decisional law interpreting article VII. ( Ante, at pp. 548-550.) Although many of these provisions remain in effect, Chapter 433 has supplemented them. Before examining the provisions of Chapter 433, we first review the primary preexisting provisions, as they are pertinent to an understanding of the intent and effect of Chapter 433. Section 14101 permits Caltrans to contract with qualified private architects and engineers if the obtainable staff is unable to perform the particular work within the time the public interest requires such work to be done. Former section 14130 et seq. (Stats. 1991, ch. 313, ง 1.5) dealt with contracts for professional and technical services. Former section 14130, subdivision (a), set forth certain legislative findings, including: (1) recognition of a compelling public interest in capturing and using in a timely manner available federal, state, local, and private funds for the state highway program (former ง 14130, subd. (a)(1)); (2) declaration of a need to be plan-ready to maximize use of these funds (former ง 14130, subd. (a)(2)); and (3) recognition of a need for additional flexibility through outside contracting to supplement Caltrans's program staff, maintain a more stable work force, and avoid short-term hiring and layoff (former ง 14130, subd. (a)(3)). Subdivision (b) of that section expressed the legislative intent to allow Caltrans to contract privately for professional and technical services whenever the department is inadequately staffed to satisfactorily carry out its program [of project development] ... in a timely and effective manner. Section 14131 permits Caltrans to contract for services with engineers, architects, surveyors, and other similar professionals whenever certain guidelines contained in section 14134 are applicable, as long as these contracts do not displace any Caltrans employees. Section 14134, subdivision (a), sets forth guidelines that include ensuring the timely capture and use of available federal, state, and local funding, reducing short-term fluctuations in workload relating to project study and development, ensuring that the cost effectiveness of contracting is considered equally with other factors in contracting decisions, and ensuring that the contract selection process complies with state law and avoids unlawful or unfair procedures. Section 14133, subdivision (a), provides that the personal services contracts provisions of section 19130 (discussed in the following paragraph) are inapplicable to professional and technical service contracts made under section 14130 et seq. Finally, section 19130 (which was upheld as consistent with article VII in CSEA, supra, 199 Cal. App.3d 840) governs personal services contracts and essentially codifies and interprets the cost savings, new state function, and nature of the services tests of the decisional law (see ante, at pp. 548-550), as applied to those contracts.