(a) This chapter shall apply to any contracts with a value of at least two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), and to any contracts with a person or entity, or related person or entity, with a cumulative value of at least two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) within the fiscal year of the city, county, city and county, or special district, being negotiated between the city, county, city and county, or special district, and any person or entity that seeks to provide services or goods to the city, county, city and county, or special district, in the following areas: accounting, financing, hardware and software maintenance, health care, human resources, human services, information technology, telecommunications, janitorial maintenance, legal services, lobbying, marketing, office equipment maintenance, passenger vehicle maintenance, property leasing, public relations, public safety, social services, transportation, or waste removal.

(b) The city, county, city and county, or special district shall designate an unbiased independent auditor to review the cost of any proposed contract. The independent auditor shall prepare a report on the cost of the contract and provide the report to all parties and make it available to the public before the governing body takes any action to approve or disapprove the contract. The report shall comply with the following:

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(1) The report shall include a recommendation regarding the viability of the contract, including any supplemental data upon which the report is based, and shall determine the fiscal impacts attributable to each term and condition of the contract.

(2) The report shall be made available to the public at least 30 days before the issue can be heard before the governing body and at least 60 days before any action to approve or disapprove the contract by the governing body.

(3) Any proposed changes to the contract after it has been approved by the governing body shall adhere to the same approval requirements as the original contract. The changes shall not go into effect until all of the requirements of this subdivision are met.

(c) The city, county, city and county, or special district shall disclose all offers and counteroffers to the public within 24 hours on its Internet Web site.

(d) Before approving any contract, the city, county, city and county, or special district shall release a list of names of all persons in attendance, whether in person or by electronic means, during any negotiation session regarding the contract, the date of the session, the length of the session, the location where the session took place, and any pertinent facts regarding the negotiations that occurred in that session.

(e) Representatives of the governing body shall advise the governing body of all offers, counteroffers, information, or statements of position discussed by the contracting person or entity and city, county, city and county, or special district representatives participating in negotiations regarding any contract.

(f) Each governing body member and staff members of governing body offices shall disclose publicly all verbal, written, electronic, or other communications regarding a subject matter related to the negotiations or pending negotiations they have had with any official or unofficial representative of the private entity within 24 hours after the communication occurs.

(g) A final governing body determination regarding approval of any contract shall be undertaken only after the matter has been heard at a minimum of two meetings of the governing body wherein the public has had the opportunity to review and comment on the matter.

(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 714, Sec. 1. (SB 331) Effective January 1, 2016.)