The bill passed the committee with only a single dissenting vote.

S.B.1215, the Pre qualified List for A & E and other professional service firms, in State and Federal contracting, would stop the award of billions of dollars yearly in small business contracts to the same firms or classified large firms and other corporate giants.  This is a problem the American Small Business League (ASBL) has estimated is currently costing America’s small and minority business more than $100 billion annually. Report 5-15 from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General described this problem as, “one of the most important challenges facing the Small Business Administration and the entire Federal government today.”

S.B. 1215 has to do with establishing a “Pre qualified list” for architectural, landscape architectural, engineering, environmental, land surveying and construction management firms that possess the qualifications established by Caltrans or other State agencies, with the firms ranked in order of qualifications. Interested firm would submit statement of qualifications for general scope of work within each generic professional service category. The list would be maintained for two or three years.

As specific project services are identified, the Dept. or Agency will contact the firm on the top of the list for staffing, capability and availability. If that top firm does not fit, the Dept or Agency can continue to contact firms throughout the top five without approval.  The placement of the firms remains, but the awarded firm goes to the bottom of the list, allowing all qualified firms to receive project work.  Each professional service or A & E list would be established in three categories-$100,000 to $500,000, $500,000 to $5 million, over $5 million. A firm could only be in one category of a specific service. Thirty-two states have pre qualified lists.

Currently S.B. 1215 is in the California Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and the Hearing on the bill will take place April 20 at 1:30 PM Room 4203 State Capital Building.  We need your help. Please send a letter of Support to Senator Curran Price, State Capital Room 2052 Sacramento CA 95814 or electronically to Tiffani.Alvidrez@sen.ca.gov

Source: http://nationalblackbusinessmonth2009.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/california-senate-hearing-april-20-on-pre-qualification-bill/