State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > California > Gov > 14137-14137.4GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 14137-14137.4
14137. (a) The department, in consultation with the Office of Small Business Advocate, may establish a Small and Emerging Contractor Technical Assistance Program. The purpose of the program is to provide training and technical assistance to small contractors to improve their ability to secure surety bond guarantees, offered by the federal Small Business Administration. Surety bond guarantees can assist small contractors in obtaining surety bonds that are necessary to qualify for public works construction projects awarded by state and local governments. (b) For purposes of this article: (1) "Program" means the Small and Emerging Contractor Technical Assistance Program. (2) "Small contractor" means a small business, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 14837 of the Government Code, that is a contractor doing business in this state and is licensed by the Contractors' State License Board pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 7065) of Chapter 9 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code. 14137.1. (a) The program shall include small contractor training and technical assistance throughout the state. Training shall be scheduled for locations that are reasonably accessible to people in all areas of the state but are not required to be scheduled in every district of the department. (b) The department, in consultation with the Office of Small Business Advocate, shall conduct outreach efforts to inform small contractors about the program and recruit them to the training. In conducting outreach activities, the department shall coordinate with its existing outreach efforts for disadvantaged business enterprises. The department shall also consult with its statewide and district small business councils, statewide and regional contracting and engineering trade groups, and the Department of General Services' Small Business Advisory Council. The department shall also coordinate outreach efforts with the administrators of enterprise zones established pursuant to Chapter 12.8 (commencing with Section 7070) of Division 7 of Title 2. 14137.2. For the purpose of providing training under the program, the department may use up to two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) of state funds if those funds are available to the department. The department may charge a fee to program participants not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) to offset technical assistance counseling in the program. 14137.4. This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or extends that date.