(a) During the process leading to an award of any contract by the system, no member of the board or its staff shall knowingly communicate concerning any matter relating to the contract or selection process with any party financially interested in the contract, or an officer or employee of that party, unless the communication is (1) part of the process expressly described in the request for proposal or other solicitation invitation, or (2) part of a noticed board meeting, or (3) as provided in subdivision (c). Any applicant or bidder who knowingly participates in a communication that is prohibited by this paragraph shall be disqualified from the contract award.

(b) During the evaluation of any prospective investment transaction, no party who is financially interested in the transaction, or an officer or employee of that party, may knowingly communicate with any board member concerning any matter relating to the transaction or its evaluation, unless the financially interested party discloses the content of the communication in a writing addressed and submitted to the executive officer and the board prior to the board’s action on the prospective transaction. This subdivision shall not apply to communications that are part of a noticed board meeting, or as provided in subdivision (c).

(1) The writing shall disclose the date and location of the communication, and the substance of the matters discussed. The board shall prescribe other procedures concerning this disclosure.

(2) Any board member who participates in a communication subject to this subdivision shall also have the obligation to disclose the communication to the executive officer and board, prior to the board’s action on the prospective transaction. The board shall prescribe procedures for this disclosure, including procedures to apply to board members who fail to disclose communications as required by this subdivision.

(3) Consistent with its fiduciary duties, the board shall determine the appropriate remedy for any knowing failure of a financially interested party to comply with this subdivision including, but not limited to, outright rejection of the prospective investment transaction, reduction in fee income, or any other sanction.

(4) The communications disclosed under this subdivision shall be made public, either at the open meeting of the board in which the transaction is considered, or if in closed session, upon public disclosure of any closed session votes concerning the investment transaction.

(c) The procedures and prohibitions prescribed by this section shall not apply to:

(1) Communications that are incidental, exclusively social, and do not involve the system or its business, or the board or staff member’s role as a system official.

(2) Communications that do not involve the system or its business and that are within the scope of the board or staff member’s private business or public office wholly unrelated to the system.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 923, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)