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Section 10263 Of Article 8. Modifications; Performance; Payment From California Public Contract Code >> Division 2. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 8.
10263
. (a) Provisions shall be included in any invitation for bid
and in any contract documents to permit the substitution of
securities for any moneys withheld by a public agency to ensure
performance under a contract. At the request and expense of the
contractor, securities equivalent to the amount withheld shall be
deposited with the State Treasurer or, a state or federally chartered
bank in this state, as the escrow agent, who shall then pay the
moneys to the contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the
contract, the securities shall be returned to the contractor.
(b) Alternatively, the contractor may request and the owner shall make payment of retentions earned directly to the escrow agent. The contractor may direct the investment of the payments into securities and the contractor shall receive the interest earned on the investments upon the same terms provided for in this section for securities deposited by the contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the contractor shall receive from the escrow agent all securities, interest, and payments received by the escrow agent from the owner, pursuant to the terms of this section.
(c) Alternatively, and subject to the approval and at the sole discretion of the public agency, the payment of retentions earned may be deposited directly with a person licensed under Division 6 (commencing with Section 17000) of the Financial Code as the escrow agent. Upon written request of an escrow agent who has not been approved by the public agency under this subdivision, the public agency shall provide written notice to that escrow agent within 10 business days of receipt of the request indicating the reason or reasons for not approving that escrow agent. An escrow agent that has been disapproved by the public agency may not maintain any cause of action of any nature against the state or any public agency, officer, agent, or employee of any public agency, in connection with the disapproval of that escrow agent. The payments shall be deposited in a trust account with a federally chartered bank or savings association within 24 hours of receipt by the escrow agent. The contractor shall not place any retentions with the escrow agent in excess of the coverage provided to that escrow agent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 17314 of the Financial Code. In all respects not inconsistent with this subdivision, the remaining provisions of this section shall apply to escrow agents acting pursuant to this subdivision. In addition, an escrow agent subject to this subdivision shall maintain insurance to cover negligent acts and omissions of the escrow agent in connection with the handling of retentions under this section in an amount not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per contract, executed by an admitted insurer and in a form satisfactory to the public agency.
(d) Securities eligible for investment under this section shall include those listed in Section 16430 of the Government Code, bank or savings and loan certificates of deposit, interest-bearing demand deposit accounts, standby letters of credit, or any other security mutually agreed to by the contractor and the public agency. The contractor shall be the beneficial owner of any securities substituted for moneys withheld and shall receive any interest thereon. Failure to include the provisions prescribed by this section in bid and contract documents shall void any provisions for performance retentions in a public agency contract.
(e) (1) Any contractor who elects to receive interest on moneys withheld in retention by a public agency shall, at the request of any subcontractor, make that option available to the subcontractor regarding any moneys withheld in retention by the contractor from the subcontractor. If the contractor elects to receive interest on any moneys withheld in retention by a public agency, then the subcontractor shall receive the identical rate of interest received by the contractor on any retention moneys withheld from the subcontractor by the contractor, less any actual pro rata costs associated with administering and calculating that interest. In the event that the interest rate is a fluctuating rate, the rate for the subcontractor shall be determined by calculating the interest rate paid during the time that retentions were withheld from the subcontractor. If the contractor elects to substitute securities in lieu of retention, then, by mutual consent of the contractor and subcontractor, the subcontractor may substitute securities in exchange for the release of moneys held in retention by the contractor.
(2) This subdivision shall apply only to those subcontractors performing more than five percent of the contractor's total bid.
(3) No contractor shall require any subcontractor to waive any provision of this section.
(f) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the provisions of this section are of statewide concern and are necessary to encourage full participation by contractors and subcontractors in public contract procedures.
(g) An escrow agreement used pursuant to this section shall be null, void, and unenforceable unless it is substantially similar to the following form:
(b) Alternatively, the contractor may request and the owner shall make payment of retentions earned directly to the escrow agent. The contractor may direct the investment of the payments into securities and the contractor shall receive the interest earned on the investments upon the same terms provided for in this section for securities deposited by the contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the contractor shall receive from the escrow agent all securities, interest, and payments received by the escrow agent from the owner, pursuant to the terms of this section.
(c) Alternatively, and subject to the approval and at the sole discretion of the public agency, the payment of retentions earned may be deposited directly with a person licensed under Division 6 (commencing with Section 17000) of the Financial Code as the escrow agent. Upon written request of an escrow agent who has not been approved by the public agency under this subdivision, the public agency shall provide written notice to that escrow agent within 10 business days of receipt of the request indicating the reason or reasons for not approving that escrow agent. An escrow agent that has been disapproved by the public agency may not maintain any cause of action of any nature against the state or any public agency, officer, agent, or employee of any public agency, in connection with the disapproval of that escrow agent. The payments shall be deposited in a trust account with a federally chartered bank or savings association within 24 hours of receipt by the escrow agent. The contractor shall not place any retentions with the escrow agent in excess of the coverage provided to that escrow agent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 17314 of the Financial Code. In all respects not inconsistent with this subdivision, the remaining provisions of this section shall apply to escrow agents acting pursuant to this subdivision. In addition, an escrow agent subject to this subdivision shall maintain insurance to cover negligent acts and omissions of the escrow agent in connection with the handling of retentions under this section in an amount not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per contract, executed by an admitted insurer and in a form satisfactory to the public agency.
(d) Securities eligible for investment under this section shall include those listed in Section 16430 of the Government Code, bank or savings and loan certificates of deposit, interest-bearing demand deposit accounts, standby letters of credit, or any other security mutually agreed to by the contractor and the public agency. The contractor shall be the beneficial owner of any securities substituted for moneys withheld and shall receive any interest thereon. Failure to include the provisions prescribed by this section in bid and contract documents shall void any provisions for performance retentions in a public agency contract.
(e) (1) Any contractor who elects to receive interest on moneys withheld in retention by a public agency shall, at the request of any subcontractor, make that option available to the subcontractor regarding any moneys withheld in retention by the contractor from the subcontractor. If the contractor elects to receive interest on any moneys withheld in retention by a public agency, then the subcontractor shall receive the identical rate of interest received by the contractor on any retention moneys withheld from the subcontractor by the contractor, less any actual pro rata costs associated with administering and calculating that interest. In the event that the interest rate is a fluctuating rate, the rate for the subcontractor shall be determined by calculating the interest rate paid during the time that retentions were withheld from the subcontractor. If the contractor elects to substitute securities in lieu of retention, then, by mutual consent of the contractor and subcontractor, the subcontractor may substitute securities in exchange for the release of moneys held in retention by the contractor.
(2) This subdivision shall apply only to those subcontractors performing more than five percent of the contractor's total bid.
(3) No contractor shall require any subcontractor to waive any provision of this section.
(f) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the provisions of this section are of statewide concern and are necessary to encourage full participation by contractors and subcontractors in public contract procedures.
(g) An escrow agreement used pursuant to this section shall be null, void, and unenforceable unless it is substantially similar to the following form:
