California Public Contract Code

§ 10263

PCC § 10263 Effective Jan 1, 2023Div. 2 · Part 2 · Ch. 1 · Art. 8

Statute text

(a)Provisions shall be included in any invitation for bid and in any contract documents to permit the substitution of securities for any moneys withheld by a public agency to ensure performance under a contract. At the request and expense of the contractor, securities equivalent to the amount withheld shall be deposited with the State Treasurer or, a state or federally chartered bank in this state, as the escrow agent, who shall then pay the moneys to the contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the securities shall be returned to the contractor.

(b)Alternatively, the contractor may request and the owner shall make payment of retentions earned directly to the escrow agent. The contractor may direct the investment of the payments into securities and the contractor shall receive the interest earned on the investments upon the same terms provided for in this section for securities deposited by the contractor. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the contractor shall receive from the escrow agent all securities, interest, and payments received by the escrow agent from the owner, pursuant to the terms of this section.

(c)Alternatively, and subject to the approval and at the sole discretion of the public agency, the payment of retentions earned may be deposited directly with a person licensed under Division 6 (commencing with Section 17000) of the Financial Code as the escrow agent. Upon written request of an escrow agent who has not been approved by the public agency under this subdivision, the public agency shall provide written notice to that escrow agent within 10 business days of receipt of the request indicating the reason or reasons for not approving that escrow agent. An escrow agent that has been disapproved by the public agency may not maintain any cause of action of any nature against the state or any public agency, officer, agent, or employee of any public agency, in connection with the disapproval of that escrow agent. The payments shall be deposited in a trust account with a federally chartered bank or savings association within 24 hours of receipt by the escrow agent. The contractor shall not place any retentions with the escrow agent in excess of the coverage provided to that escrow agent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 17314 of the Financial Code. In all respects not inconsistent with this subdivision, the remaining provisions of this section shall apply to escrow agents acting pursuant to this subdivision. In addition, an escrow agent subject to this subdivision shall maintain insurance to cover negligent acts and omissions of the escrow agent in connection with the handling of retentions under this section in an amount not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per contract, executed by an admitted insurer and in a form satisfactory to the public agency.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 93, Sec. 1. (SB 1192) Effective January 1, 2023.