HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 696        FILED ON: 1/27/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3281

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Edward F. Coppinger

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to transparency in private utility construction contracts.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Edward F. Coppinger

10th Suffolk

1/27/2021

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

2/24/2021

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

2/24/2021

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/24/2021

Michael P. Kushmerek

3rd Worcester

2/24/2021

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/24/2021

Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

2/24/2021

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

2/24/2021

Marc T. Lombardo

22nd Middlesex

2/24/2021

John Barrett, III

1st Berkshire

2/24/2021

Richard M. Haggerty

30th Middlesex

2/24/2021

Michael J. Soter

8th Worcester

2/24/2021

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

2/24/2021

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

2/25/2021

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

2/25/2021

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

2/25/2021

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

2/25/2021

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

2/26/2021

Peter Capano

11th Essex

2/26/2021

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/26/2021

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

2/26/2021

Jessica Ann Giannino

16th Suffolk

2/26/2021

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

2/26/2021

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

2/26/2021

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

2/26/2021

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

2/26/2021

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

2/26/2021

Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr.

28th Middlesex

2/26/2021

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/26/2021

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

2/26/2021

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

2/26/2021

Adam J. Scanlon

14th Bristol

2/26/2021

Daniel Cahill

10th Essex

2/26/2021

Gerard J. Cassidy

9th Plymouth

2/26/2021

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

2/26/2021

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/26/2021

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/26/2021

Jon Santiago

9th Suffolk

2/26/2021

Paul F. Tucker

7th Essex

3/4/2021

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

3/4/2021

David Biele

4th Suffolk

3/4/2021

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

3/9/2021

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

3/17/2021

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

3/17/2021

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

3/17/2021

Norman J. Orrall

12th Bristol

4/26/2021

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

7/7/2021

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

9/8/2021

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

9/8/2021

Erika Uyterhoeven

27th Middlesex

1/31/2022


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 696        FILED ON: 1/27/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3281

By Mr. Coppinger of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3281) of Edward F. Coppinger and others relative to transparency in private utility construction contracts.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2826 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to transparency in private utility construction contracts.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 76D the following section:-

Section 76E.  (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings:-



“Company”, a gas or distribution company.


“Contract”, any agreement for the procurement of services specified under subsection (b), regardless of what the parties call the agreement.

“Responsible bidder”, a person who has the capability to perform fully the contract requirements, and the integrity and reliability which assures good faith performance.


“Score”, the quantitative or qualitative rating or method utilized by the company to award a contract

(b) When entering into a contract in the amount of $100,000 or more for services related to the excavation or construction upon, along, under, or across any public way, each company shall be subject to this section.

(c) A company shall (1) within two business days after the decision has been made, inform any responsible bidder which submitted a bid of its decision in relation to the award of a contract, and shall do so by notice in writing by the most rapid means of communication possible; and (2) post the winning bid on its website with (i) the name of the contractor, (ii) winning amount, (iii) location of project. 

(d) The written notice to each responsible bidder shall include (1) the criteria for the award of the contract; and (2) the score obtained by the responsible bidder.

(e) Where there is only one response to a solicitation, a company need not comply with this section.

(f) A company may withhold any information to be provided in accordance with the section where the disclosure of such information (1) would impede law enforcement, (2) would otherwise be contrary to the public interest, (3) would prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of any responsible bidder; or (4) might interfere with competition between responsible bidders.

(g) The department shall be responsible for enforcing this section, and may promulgate regulations and issue orders it deems in the public interest regarding the procurement practices of companies.