2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 4b - State Real Property
Chapter 60 - Construction and Alterations of State Buildings
Section 4b-52 - (Formerly Sec. 4-132). Repairs or changes to state premises, contracts, bids, use of state employees or inmates. Emergency conditions and restoration of facilities. Governor’s written consent and certification to General Assembly required, when. Renegotiation of leases.

(a)(1) No repairs, alterations or additions involving expense to the state of five hundred thousand dollars or less or, in the case of repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by the Judicial Branch, one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less or, in the case of repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, two million dollars or less, shall be made to any state building or premises occupied by any state officer, department, institution, board, commission or council of the state government and no contract for any construction, repairs, alteration or addition shall be entered into without the prior approval of the Commissioner of Construction Services, except repairs, alterations or additions to a building under the supervision and control of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management and repairs, alterations or additions to a building under the supervision of The University of Connecticut. Repairs, alterations or additions which are made pursuant to such approval of the Commissioner of Construction Services shall conform to all guidelines and procedures established by the Department of Construction Services for agency-administered projects. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, repairs, alterations or additions involving expense to the state of five hundred thousand dollars or less may be made to any state building or premises under the supervision of the Office of the Chief Court Administrator or a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, under the terms of section 4b-11, and any contract for any such construction, repairs or alteration may be entered into by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator or a constituent unit of the state system of higher education without the approval of the Commissioner of Construction Services.

(b) Except as provided in this section, no repairs, alterations or additions involving an expense to the state of more than five hundred thousand dollars or, in the case of repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by the Judicial Branch, more than one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or, in the case of repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, more than two million dollars, shall be made to any state building or premises occupied by any state officer, department, institution, board, commission or council of the state government, nor shall any contract for any construction, repairs, alteration or addition be entered into, until the Commissioner of Construction Services or, in the case of the construction or repairs, alterations or additions to a building under the supervision and control of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management of the General Assembly, said joint committee or, in the case of construction, repairs, alterations or additions to a building involving expenditures in excess of five hundred thousand dollars but not more than one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars under the supervision and control of the Judicial Branch, said Judicial Branch or, in the case of the construction, repairs, alterations or additions to a building involving expenditures in excess of five hundred thousand dollars but not more than two million dollars under the supervision and control of one of the constituent units of higher education, the constituent unit, has invited bids thereon and awarded a contract thereon, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4b-91 to 4b-96, inclusive. The Commissioner of Construction Services, with the approval of the authority having the supervision of state employees or the custody of inmates of state institutions, without the necessity of bids, may employ such employees or inmates and purchase or furnish the necessary materials for the construction, erection, alteration, repair or enlargement of any such state building or premises occupied by any state officer, department, institution, board, commission or council of the state government.

(c) Whenever the Commissioner of Construction Services declares that an emergency condition exists at any state facility, other than a building under the supervision and control of the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, and that the condition would adversely affect public safety or the proper conduct of essential state government operations, or said joint committee declares that such an emergency exists at a building under its supervision and control, the commissioner or the joint committee may employ such assistance as may be required to restore facilities under their control and management, or the commissioner may so act upon the request of a state agency, to restore facilities under the control and management of such agency, without inviting bids as required in subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner shall take no action requiring the expenditure of more than five hundred thousand dollars to restore any facility under this subsection (1) without the written consent of the Governor, and (2) until the commissioner has certified to the joint committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to legislative management that the project is of such an emergency nature that an exception to subsection (b) of this section is required. Such certification shall include input from all affected agencies, detail the need for the exception and include any relevant documentation. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply if any person is obligated under the terms of an existing contract with the state to render such assistance. The annual report of the commissioner shall include a detailed statement of all expenditures made under this subsection.

(d) The Commissioner of Administrative Services may, during the term of a lease of a building or premises occupied by any state offices, department, institution, board, commission or council of the state government, (1) renegotiate the lease in order to enable the lessor to make necessary alterations or additions up to a maximum amount of five hundred thousand dollars, in consultation with the Commissioner of Construction Services and subject to the approval of the State Properties Review Board, or (2) require that a security audit be conducted for such building or premises and, if necessary, renegotiate the lease in order to enable the lessor to make necessary alterations or additions to bring the building or premises into compliance with the security standards for state agencies established under section 4b-132. Alterations or additions under subdivision (2) of this subsection shall not be subject to the spending limit in subdivision (1) of this subsection, and a renegotiated lease under said subdivision (2) shall be subject to the approval of the State Properties Review Board, provided such approval requirement shall not compromise the security requirements of chapter 60a and this section. The commissioner shall determine the manner of submission, conditions and requirements of bids and awards made for alterations or additions under this subsection. No lease shall be renegotiated under this subsection for a term less than five years. As used in this subsection, “security” and “security audit” have the meanings assigned to such terms in section 4b-130.

(1949 Rev., S. 262; March, 1950, S. 100d; 1957, P.A. 150, S. 1; 457, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 708; P.A. 73-528, S. 11, 12; P.A. 74-246, S. 10, 11; P.A. 75-365, S. 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 73, 610; P.A. 82-285, S. 2, 3; P.A. 83-12, S. 2; 83-199; 83-329; 83-530, S. 1, 3; P.A. 84-48, S. 10, 17; 84-436, S. 5, 12; P.A. 85-225; 85-567, S. 2, 6; P.A. 87-496, S. 34, 110; 87-529, S. 2, 3; P.A. 88-116, S. 1; P.A. 91-230, S. 9, 17; P.A. 92-154, S. 4, 23; P.A. 93-201, S. 5, 24; P.A. 95-230, S. 36, 45; P.A. 96-235, S. 16, 19; P.A. 97-293, S. 13, 26; P.A. 99-75, S. 5; 99-220, S. 8; P.A. 03-215, S. 10; P.A. 05-288, S. 22; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 68; P.A. 11-51, S. 92.)

History: 1969 act required award of bid 60 days after bid opening rather than 30 days and provided for negotiation of contract if lowest bid exceeds funds available; P.A. 73-528 put upper limit on expenditures of $500,000, effective January 1, 1974; P.A. 74-246 clarified procedure for negotiation of contract if lowest bid exceeds available funds, specifying that bidders be negotiated with in ascending order of bid amounts; P.A. 75-365 divided section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), required approval of public works commissioner for all work and contracts for work and raised lower limit for expenditures requiring bids to $50,000; P.A. 77-614 replaced public works commissioner with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 82-285 added Subsec. (c) establishing procedure for making emergency repairs to state facilities without competitive bidding; P.A. 83-12 amended Subsec. (a) by allowing repairs, alterations or additions to the state capitol without the prior approval of the commissioner of administrative services, amended Subsec. (b) by placing responsibility for bids on repairs, alterations or additions to the state capitol with the joint committee on legislative management rather than the department of administrative services and amended Subsec. (c) to provide that the joint committee on legislative management shall have the responsibility of declaring and managing any emergency situations which may arise at the state capitol building; P.A. 83-199 added Subsec. (d) giving the commissioner of administrative services the power to renegotiate the terms of a lease under certain circumstances; P.A. 83-329 added Subsec. (e) permitting expenditures in excess of $500,000 for repairs, alterations or additions to leased properties if leased from a municipality, remaining term is five years or more and properties review board approves; P.A. 83-530 raised limit on expenditures requiring administrative commissioner’s approval from $50,000 to $100,000 in Subsec. (a) and made corresponding change in Subsec. (b) re expenditures for which bids must be invited; P.A. 84-48 included references to building under the supervision and control of the joint committee on legislative management, replacing references to state capitol; P.A. 84-436 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize the office of the chief court administrator to contract for and make repairs, alterations or additions costing $50,000 or less to any state building or premises under its supervision without the commissioner’s approval, effective July 1, 1985; P.A. 85-225 increased the maximum expenditure amount in Subsec. (c) from $50,000 to $100,000; P.A. 85-567 increased dollar amounts of expenditures for projects which may be undertaken by departments and institutions from $100,000 to $250,000; P.A. 87-496 replaced commissioner of administrative services with commissioner of public works; P.A. 87-529 in Subsec. (a) raised limit on expenditures requiring administrative commissioner’s approval from $250,000 to $500,000 in the case of repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, and in Subsec. (b) placed responsibility for bids on construction, repairs, alterations or additions to buildings involving expenditures in excess of $250,000 but not more than $500,000 under the supervision and control of a constituent unit with the constituent unit; P.A. 88-116 transferred provision in Subsec. (a) re control and management of property leased or rented by the state or a state entity to Sec. 4-133, amended Subsec. (b) by requiring contract to be awarded “in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-137a to 4-137g, inclusive” in lieu of former procedure and deleted Subsec. (e) re applicability of $500,000 limit in Subsec. (b) on expenditure of funds for repairs, alterations or additions to buildings or premises occupied by the state; Sec. 4-132 transferred to Sec. 4b-52 in 1989; P.A. 91-230 in Subsecs. (a) and (b) changed $500,000 limit to $1,000,000; P.A. 92-154 amended Subsec. (a) to apply provisions of Subdiv. (2) to constituent units of the state system of higher education; P.A. 93-201 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to increase the limit for repairs, alterations or additions to a building rented or occupied by a constituent unit from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-230 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception for The University of Connecticut, effective June 7, 1995; P.A. 96-235 amended Subsec. (c) by repealing provision that required damage by fire or other disaster for declaration of emergency condition at state facility or building and substituting $250,000 for $100,000 as expenditure limit without Governor’s consent, effective June 6, 1996; P.A. 97-293 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to increase the amount from $50,000 to $100,000, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-75 substituted “five hundred thousand dollars” for “two hundred fifty thousand dollars” in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c), amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding provision requiring conformity of certain repairs, alterations or additions to Department of Public Works guidelines and procedures, and amended Subsec. (c) by repealing requirement of Governor’s consent for emergency restorations by joint committee exceeding $250,000 and by deleting the joint committee from the annual report requirement; P.A. 99-220 added Subsec. (d)(2) re security audits and alterations or additions to leased buildings for compliance with security standards and defining the terms “security” and “security audit”; P.A. 03-215 amended Subsec. (c) to insert Subdiv. (1) designator and insert provisions re certification to General Assembly re emergency nature of project as Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(2), effective July 13, 2005; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re buildings rented or occupied by Judicial Branch in Subdiv. (1) and to substitute “five hundred thousand” for “one hundred thousand” re dollar limit in Subdiv. (2), and amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re buildings rented or occupied by Judicial Branch or under supervision and control of Judicial Branch, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-51 amended Subsecs. (a) to (c) to change “Commissioner of Public Works” to “Commissioner of Construction Services” and make a conforming change, and amended Subsec. (d) to change “Commissioner of Public Works” to “Commissioner of Administrative Services” and require consultation with Commissioner of Construction Services, effective July 1, 2011.

See chapter 557, part III re state contracts generally.

See Sec. 4a-60 re nondiscrimination clause required in contracts.