TITLE 38. PUBLIC CONTRACTS, WORKS AND IMPROVEMENTS

CHAPTER 10. PUBLIC CONTRACTS

PART II. LETTING CONTRACTS

38:2212.9       Right to prohibit awards or procurement with individuals convicted of certain felony crimes

A. In awarding contracts, any public entity is authorized to reject the lowest bid from, or not award the contract to, a business in which any individual with an ownership interest of five percent or more has been convicted of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to any state felony crime or equivalent federal felony crime committed in the solicitation or execution of a contract or bid awarded under the laws governing public contracts under the provisions of Chapter 10 of this Title, professional, personal, consulting, and social services procurement under the provisions of Chapter 16 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, or the Louisiana Procurement Code under the provisions of Chapter 17 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

B. Nothing in this Section shall impose a duty, responsibility, or requirement on a public entity to perform criminal background checks on contractors, vendors, or subcontractors. It shall be the responsibility of any person, company, or entity making an allegation of prior convictions on the part of any individual with an ownership interest of five percent or more in any bidder to present prima facie evidence to the public entity supporting their claim.

C. If evidence is submitted substantiating that any individual with an ownership interest of five percent or more in the lowest bidder has been convicted of, or has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to any state felony crime or equivalent federal felony crime committed in the solicitation or execution of a contract or bid awarded under the laws listed in Subsection A of this Section and the public entity rejects the lowest bid, the company whose bid is rejected shall be responsible to the public entity for the costs of rebidding, the increased costs of awarding to the second low bidder, or forfeiture of the bid bond, whichever is higher.

Added by Acts 2010, No. 864, § 1.