2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 4b - State Real Property
Chapter 60 - Construction and Alterations of State Buildings
Section 4b-91 - (Formerly Sec. 4-137a). Process for bidding for public works contracts. Prequalification requirements. Exceptions.

(a)(1) As used in this section, “prequalification classification” means the prequalification classifications established by the Commissioner of Administrative Services pursuant to section 4a-100, “public agency” has the same meaning as provided in section 1-200, “awarding authority” means the Department of Administrative Services, except “awarding authority” means (A) the Joint Committee on Legislative Management, in the case of a contract for the construction of or work on a building or other public work under the supervision and control of the joint committee, (B) a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, in the case of a contract for the construction of or work on a building or other public work under the supervision and control of such constituent unit, or (C) the Military Department, in the case of a contract for the construction of or work on a building or other public work under the supervision and control of said department and “community court project”, “downtown Hartford higher education center project”, “correctional facility project”, “juvenile detention center project” and “priority higher education facility project” have the same meanings as provided in section 4b-55.

(2) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, every contract for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition of any public building or any other public work by the state that is estimated to cost more than five hundred thousand dollars shall be awarded to the lowest responsible and qualified general bidder who is prequalified pursuant to section 4a-100 on the basis of competitive bids in accordance with the procedures set forth in this chapter, after the awarding authority has invited such bids by posting notice on the State Contracting Portal. The awarding authority shall indicate the prequalification classification required for the contract in such notice.

(3) The requirements set forth in subdivision (2) of this subsection shall not apply to (A) a public highway or bridge project or any other construction project administered by the Department of Transportation, or (B) a contract awarded by the Commissioner of Administrative Services for (i) any public building or other public works project administered by the Department of Administrative Services that is estimated to cost one million five hundred thousand dollars or less, (ii) a community court project, (iii) the downtown Hartford higher education center project, (iv) a correctional facility project, (v) a juvenile detention center project, or (vi) a student residential facility for the Connecticut State University System that is a priority higher education facility project.

(4) Every contract for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition of any public building or any other public work by a public agency that is paid for, in whole or in part, with state funds and that is estimated to cost more than five hundred thousand dollars shall be awarded to a bidder that is prequalified pursuant to section 4a-100 after the public agency has invited such bids by posting notice on the State Contracting Portal, except for (A) a public highway or bridge project or any other construction project administered by the Department of Transportation, or (B) any public building or other public works project administered by the Department of Administrative Services that is estimated to cost one million five hundred thousand dollars or less. The awarding authority or public agency, as the case may be, shall indicate the prequalification classification required for the contract in such notice.

(5) (A) The Commissioner of Administrative Services may select contractors to be on lists established for the purpose of providing contractor services for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition of any public building or other public works project administered by the Department of Administrative Services involving an expense to the state of one million five hundred thousand dollars or less. The commissioner shall use the prequalification classifications established pursuant to section 4a-100 to determine the specific categories of services that contractors may perform after being selected in accordance with this subparagraph and subparagraph (B) of this subdivision and awarded a contract in accordance with subparagraph (C) of this subdivision. The commissioner may establish a separate list for projects involving an expense to the state of less than five hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of selecting and utilizing the services of small contractors and minority business enterprises, as such terms are defined in section 4a-60g.

(B) The commissioner shall invite contractors to submit qualifications for each specific category of services sought by the department by posting notice of such invitation on the State Contracting Portal. The notice shall be in the form determined by the commissioner, and shall set forth the information that a contractor is required to submit to be considered for selection. Upon receipt of the submittal from the contractor, the commissioner shall select, for each specified category, those contractors who (i) are determined to be the most responsible and qualified, as such terms are defined in section 4b-92, to perform the work required under the specified category, (ii) have demonstrated the skill, ability and integrity to fulfill contract obligations considering their past performance, financial responsibility and experience with projects of the size, scope and complexity required by the state under the specified category, and (iii) for projects with a cost exceeding five hundred thousand dollars, have the ability to obtain the requisite bonding. The commissioner shall establish the duration that each list remains in effect, which in no event may exceed three years.

(C) For any public building or public works project involving an expense to the state of one million five hundred thousand dollars or less, the commissioner shall invite bids from only those contractors selected pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision for the specific category of services required for the particular project. The commissioner shall determine the form of bid invitation, the manner of, and time for, submission of bids, and the conditions and requirements of such bids. The contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible and qualified bidder, subject to the provisions of sections 4b-92 and 4b-94. In the event that fewer than three bids are received in response to an invitation to bid under this subdivision, or that all the bids are in excess of the amount of available funds for the project, the commissioner may negotiate a contract with any of the contractors submitting a bid, or reject the bids received and rebid the project in accordance with this section.

(b) The awarding authority shall determine the manner of submission and the conditions and requirements of such bids, and the time within which the bids shall be submitted, consistent with the provisions of this section and sections 4b-92 to 4b-96, inclusive. Such award shall be made not later than ninety days after the opening of such bids. If the general bidder selected as the general contractor fails to perform the general contractor's agreement to execute a contract in accordance with the terms of the general contractor's general bid and furnish a performance bond and also a labor and materials or payment bond to the amount specified in the general bid form, an award shall be made to the next lowest responsible and qualified general bidder, or, in the case of a contract awarded by the Department of Administrative Services under subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section, to the bidder determined in accordance with said subdivision if fewer than three bids are received. No employee of an awarding authority with decision-making authority concerning the award of a contract and no public official, as defined in section 1-79, may communicate with any bidder prior to the award of the contract if the communication results in the bidder receiving information about the contract that is not available to other bidders, except that if the lowest responsible and qualified bidder's price submitted is in excess of funds available to make an award, the awarding authority may negotiate with such bidder and award the contract on the basis of the funds available, without change in the contract specifications, plans and other requirements. If the award of a contract on such basis is refused by such bidder, the awarding authority may negotiate with other contractors who submitted bids in ascending order of bid prices without change in the contract, specifications, plans and other requirements. In the event of negotiation with general bidders as provided in this section, the general bidder involved may negotiate with subcontractors on the same basis, provided such general bidder shall negotiate only with subcontractors named on such general bidder's general bid form.

(c) No person may bid on a contract or perform work pursuant to a contract that is subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section unless the person is prequalified in accordance with section 4a-100.

(d) Each bid submitted for a contract described in subsection (c) of this section shall include an update bid statement in such form as the Commissioner of Administrative Services prescribes and, if required by the public agency soliciting such bid, a copy of the prequalification certificate issued by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. The form for such update bid statement shall provide space for information regarding all projects completed by the bidder since the date the bidder's prequalification certificate was issued or renewed, all projects the bidder currently has under contract, including the percentage of work on such projects not completed, the names and qualifications of the personnel who will have supervisory responsibility for the performance of the contract, any significant changes in the bidder's financial position or corporate structure since the date the certificate was issued or renewed, any change in the contractor's qualification status as determined by the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of section 4a-100 and such other relevant information as the Commissioner of Administrative Services prescribes. Any bid submitted without a copy of the prequalification certificate, if required by the public agency soliciting such bid, and an update bid statement shall be deemed invalid. Any public agency that accepts a bid submitted without a copy of such prequalification certificate, if required by such public agency soliciting such bid, and an update bid statement may become ineligible for the receipt of funds related to such bid.

(e) Any person who bids on a contract described in subsection (c) of this section shall certify under penalty of false statement at the conclusion of the bidding process that the information in the bid is true, that there has been no substantial change in the bidder's financial position or corporate structure since the bidder's most recent prequalification certificate was issued or renewed, other than those changes noted in the update bid statement, and that the bid was made without fraud or collusion with any person.

(f) Any person who receives information from a state employee or public official that is not available to the general public concerning any construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition project on a public building or any other public work prior to the date that a notice for bids on the project is posted shall be disqualified from bidding on the project.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of this chapter regarding competitive bidding procedures, the commissioner may select and interview at least three responsible and qualified general contractors who are prequalified pursuant to section 4a-100 and submit the three selected contractors to the construction services award panels process described in section 4b-100a and any regulation adopted by the commissioner. The commissioner may negotiate with the successful bidder a contract which is both fair and reasonable to the state for a community court project, the downtown Hartford higher education center project, a correctional facility project, a juvenile detention center project, or a student residential facility for the Connecticut State University System that is a priority higher education facility project. The Commissioner of Administrative Services, prior to entering any such contract or performing any work on such project, shall submit such contract to the State Properties Review Board for review and approval or disapproval by the board, pursuant to subsection (i) of this section. Any general contractor awarded a contract pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to the same requirements concerning the furnishing of bonds as a contractor awarded a contract pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

(h) Any agency that seeks to have a project awarded without being subject to competitive bidding procedures shall certify to the joint committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to government administration and elections that the project is of such an emergency nature that an exception to the competitive bidding procedures 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.

(i) In the event that the General Assembly approves legislation authorizing an exception to the competitive bidding process for a project, the State Properties Review Board shall complete a review of the contract for such project and approve or disapprove such contract no later than thirty days after the Commissioner of Administrative Services submits such contract to the board. Such review shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of section 4b-3. In the event that such review does not occur within the thirty-day period prescribed by this subsection, such contract shall be deemed to be approved.

(j) No person whose subcontract exceeds five hundred thousand dollars in value may perform work as a subcontractor on a project for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition of any public building or any other public work by the state or a municipality, except a public highway or bridge project or any other construction project administered by the Department of Transportation, which project is estimated to cost more than five hundred thousand dollars and is paid for, in whole or in part, with state funds, unless, at the time of the bid submission, the person is prequalified in accordance with section 4a-100. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the downtown Hartford higher education center project.

(k) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, the Commissioner of Administrative Services may purchase equipment, supplies, materials or other property or services under sections 4a-53 and 4a-66 as required to fulfill his or her responsibilities under this chapter.

(P.A. 73-528, S. 1, 12; P.A. 74-246, S. 1, 11; P.A. 75-425, S. 23, 57; P.A. 77-614, S. 73, 610; P.A. 82-438, S. 5, 6; 82-447, S. 1; P.A. 84-48, S. 12, 17; P.A. 87-496, S. 41, 110; 87-529, S. 5; P.A. 88-116, S. 4; P.A. 89-353, S. 3, 8; P.A. 92-228, S. 6, 9; P.A. 93-30, S. 4, 14; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-2, S. 5, 203; P.A. 95-230, S. 39, 45; P.A. 96-235, S. 14, 19; P.A. 97-293, S. 21, 26; P.A. 98-21, S. 4; 98-59, S. 2, 3; P.A. 99-26, S. 4, 39; 99-75, S. 8; 99-241, S. 50, 66; P.A. 00-192, S. 17, 102; P.A. 02-140, S. 3; P.A. 03-215, S. 1; P.A. 04-141, S. 1; P.A. 05-287, S. 10, 11; P.A. 06-134, S. 18, 19, 24; P.A. 07-202, S. 7; 07-213, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 161; P.A. 11-51, S. 90; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; P.A. 14-188, S. 2, 3, 8; P.A. 16-81, S. 7–10; 16-110, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 74-246 required award of bid within 60 days of bid opening rather than previous 90 days and clarified procedure for negotiation of contract when bids exceed available funds and including provision for negotiations between bidders and sub-bidders; P.A. 75-425 required bidding on projects estimated to exceed $250,000 rather than $500,000 as previously; P.A. 77-614 replaced public works commissioner with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 82-438 provided that legislative management committee is responsible for bidding procedures involving work on the state capitol building; P.A. 82-447 amended section to replace references to sub-bidders with references to subcontractors; P.A. 84-48 included any construction of or work on any building under the supervision and control of the joint committee on legislative management as being under the control of said committee where “state capitol building” was previously mentioned; P.A. 87-496 replaced administrative services commissioner with public works commissioner; P.A. 87-529 provided that a constituent unit of the state system of higher education is responsible for bidding procedures involving work on a building under the supervision of the constituent unit; P.A. 88-116 added provision re manner, conditions, requirements and time for bids; Sec. 4-137a transferred to Sec. 4b-91 in 1989; P.A. 89-353 designated existing section as Subsec. (a), exempted emergency correctional facility project from Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) re procedure for award of contract for emergency correctional facility project to a general contractor; P.A. 92-228 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdivs. (2) and (3), exempting large public building project and construction management contracts from requirements of Subsec. (a); P.A. 93-30 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1993; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-2 exempted the University of Connecticut library project from Subsec. (a) and included said project in provisions of Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-230 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception for The University of Connecticut and made technical changes to the lettering and numbering, effective June 7, 1995; P.A. 96-235 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by repealing exemption from competitive bidding requirements for large public building projects and construction management, as defined in Sec. 4b-98, which was repealed elsewhere in the act, effective June 6, 1996; P.A. 97-293 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-21 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt a community court project and amended Subsec. (b) to include a community court project; P.A. 98-59 changed effective date of P.A. 98-21 from October 1, 1998, to April 13, 1998; P.A. 99-26 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt the Connecticut Juvenile Training School project, amended Subsec. (b) to include said project and made technical changes, effective May 7, 1999; P.A. 99-75 substituted $500,000 for $250,000 in Subsec. (a), deleted references to “an emergency correctional facility project” and made technical changes; P.A. 99-241 added the downtown Hartford higher education center and made technical changes, effective June 28, 1999; P.A. 00-192 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to include correctional facility project and juvenile detention center project, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 02-140 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by adding provisions re student residential facilities and made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-215 amended Subsec. (a) to reference prequalified contractors and require that advertisements indicate the prequalification and aggregate work capacity rating, designated part of Subsec. (a) as Subsec. (b), adding prohibition on communications with a bidder prior to the award of a contract and making technical changes therein, inserted new Subsec. (c) re prequalification, inserted new Subsec. (d) re update statement, inserted new Subsec. (e) re certification under penalty of false statement, inserted new Subsec. (f) re receipt of information not available to the general public and relettered former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (g), referencing prequalification and selection by the award panel and requiring certification to legislative management committee re emergency nature of projects therein, effective October 1, 2004; P.A. 04-141 amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to Sec. 4b-24(4), i.e. Sec. 9 of P.A. 03-215, eliminate requirement that the Commissioner of Public Works, the joint committee or the constituent unit indicate the aggregate work capacity rating required for the contract in the advertisement and delete definition of aggregate work capacity rating, amended Subsec. (b) to prohibit public official, as defined in Sec. 1-79, from communicating with any bidder prior to the award of the contract if the communication results in the bidder receiving information about the contract not available to other bidders, made technical changes in Subsec. (d), amended Subsec. (f) to include receipt of information from a state employee, made technical changes in Subsec. (g) and added requirement that the Commissioner of Public Works submit contract to the State Properties Review Board for review and approval or disapproval, designated provisions re agency seeking to have project awarded without being subject to competitive bidding procedures on and after October 1, 2004, as Subsec. (h) and amended said Subsec. to require certification for such project to the government administration and elections committee rather than the legislative management committee and made technical changes, and added Subsec. (i) re review of contract for approved project by the State Properties Review Board; P.A. 05-287 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to delete exceptions in former Subparas. (B) and (D) for the Connecticut Juvenile Training School project and The University of Connecticut library project and redesignate existing Subpara. (C) as new Subpara. (B), and existing Subparas. (E) to (G), inclusive, as new Subparas. (C) to (E), inclusive, and amended Subsec. (g) to remove The University of Connecticut library project and the Connecticut Juvenile Training School project from the list of projects for which the commissioner may negotiate a contract with the successful bidder, effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-134 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate exception for certain projects undertaken and controlled by The University of Connecticut and made technical changes in both Subsec. (a) and Subsec. (c), effective January 1, 2007, and added new Subsec. (j) re requirement of certain subcontractors to be prequalified, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 07-202 amended Subsec. (a) to include any other public work by the state and add exception for public highway or bridge projects or any other construction projects administered by Department of Transportation, amended Subsec. (c) to include work performed pursuant to a contract, amended Subsec. (d) to add provision re acceptance of bid without prequalification certificate and update bid statement, and made technical changes, effective July 10, 2007; P.A. 07-213 amended Subsec. (b) to change “within sixty days” to “not later than ninety days” re making of award, effective July 10, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7 amended Subsec. (a) to add references to other public work, replace requirement that invitation for bids be inserted in newspapers having circulation in each county with requirement that such invitation be posted on State Contracting Portal, add requirement that contracts be awarded to bidder that is prequalified pursuant to Sec. 4a-100 and define “public agency”, amended Subsec. (c) to make a conforming change, amended Subsec. (d) to make requirement of submitting copy of prequalification statement dependent upon discretion of the public agency, amended Subsec. (f) to add reference to any other public work and make technical changes, and amended Subsec. (j) to change October 1, 2007, to October 5, 2009, and add reference to any other public work by the state or municipality, except a public highway or bridge project or any other construction project administered by Department of Transportation, effective October 5, 2009; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Works” and “Department of Public Works” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Construction Services” and “Department of Construction Services”, respectively, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “Commissioner of Construction Services” and “Department of Construction Services” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Administrative Services” and “Department of Administrative Services”, respectively, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 14-188 amended Subsec. (a) to delete former Subdivs. (1) to (5) re exceptions, add new Subdiv. (1) re definitions, add new Subdiv. (3) re exceptions, add new Subdiv. (5) re process for Department of Administrative Services projects costing $1,500,000 or less, and make conforming and technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) to make conforming and technical changes and add references to awarding authority and to contracts awarded under Subsec. (a)(5), amended Subsec. (j) to add “at the time of the bid submission” and to make technical changes and added Subsec. (k) re purchasing authority of commissioner, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 16-81 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add definitions for “community court project”, “downtown Hartford higher education center project”, “correctional facility project”, “juvenile detention center project” and “priority higher education facility project” and make a technical change and amended Subsecs. (a)(3), (g) and (j) to make conforming changes, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 16-110 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add Subpara. (C) re building or public work under control and supervision of Military Department, effective June 3, 2016.

Annotation to former section 4-137a:

Cited. 191 C. 497.