(a) The State Personnel Board may establish such standards and controls over approval of contracts by the Department of General Services as are necessary to assure that the approval is consistent with the merit employment principles and requirements contained in Article VII of the California Constitution. The substantive provisions of the standards shall be established at the discretion of the State Personnel Board. The specific procedures for contract review pursuant to such standards shall be established jointly by the board and the department.

It is the intent of the Legislature that except as provided in this section, the standards and controls established under this subdivision shall not be constructed in such a fashion or construed in such a manner as to authorize the State Personnel Board to establish a separate program for reviewing and approving each and every contract in the place of, or in addition to, the program administered by the Department of General Services pursuant to this article. The State Personnel Board may, when it has reason to believe that a proposed contract is not in compliance with the provisions of § 19130 of the Government Code, and shall, when requested to do so by an employee organization representing state employees, direct a state agency to transmit the contract to it for review.

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(b) The State Personnel Board shall direct any state agency to transmit to it for review any contract proposed or executed pursuant to subdivision (a) of § 19130 of the Government Code, if the review has been requested by an employee organization notified pursuant to § 19131 of the Government Code. The review shall occur prior to any review conducted by the Department of General Services. The board shall restrict its review to the question as to whether the contract complies with the provisions of subdivision (a) of § 19130 of the Government Code and any additional standards and controls established pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section. The board may disapprove the contract only if it determines that the contract does not comply.

The board shall delegate the review of such a contract to the executive officer of the board. Within 15 days of its receipt, the executive officer shall notify the employee organization which requested the review whether he or she intends to approve or disapprove it. If the employee organization requests it, the executive officer shall grant the employee organization the opportunity to present its case against the contract and the reasons why the contract should be referred to the board for a hearing. Upon a showing of good cause by the employee organization, the executive officer shall schedule the disputed contract for a hearing before the board for the purpose of receiving evidence and hearing arguments concerning the propriety of the disputed contract. In any case, the executive officer shall approve or disapprove the contract or refer it to the board for a hearing within 30 days of its receipt. The reasons for a decision by the executive officer, or the board, approving or disapproving the contract shall be stated in writing.

(c) A contract proposed or executed pursuant to subdivision (b) of § 19130 of the Government Code shall be reviewed by the State Personnel Board if the board receives a request to conduct such a review from an employee organization representing state employees. Any such review shall be restricted to the question as to whether the contract complies with the provisions of subdivision (b) of § 19130 of the Government Code. The board shall delegate the review of such a contract to the executive officer of the board. If the employee organization requests it, the executive officer shall grant the employee organization the opportunity to present its case against the contract and the reasons why the contract should be referred to the board for a hearing. Upon a showing of good cause by the employee organization, the executive officer shall schedule the disputed contract for a hearing before the board for the purpose of receiving evidence and hearing arguments concerning the propriety of the disputed contract. The executive officer shall approve or disapprove the contract or refer it to the board for a hearing within 30 days of its receipt. The reasons for the decision by the executive officer, or the board, approving or disapproving the contract shall be stated in writing.

(d) Contracts subject to State Personnel Board review under this section shall not become effective unless and until approval is granted.

(Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 1231, Sec. 4. Effective September 30, 1983.)