(a) A purchase order or other form of documentation for acquisition or replacement of motor vehicles shall not be issued against any appropriation until the Department of General Services has investigated and established the necessity therefor.

(b) A state agency shall not acquire surplus mobile equipment from any source for program support until the Department of General Services has investigated and established the necessity therefor.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law, any contract for the acquisition of a motor vehicle or general use mobile equipment for a state agency shall be made by or under the supervision of the Department of General Services. Pursuant to Section 10298 of the Public Contract Code, the Department of General Services may collect a fee to offset the cost of the services provided.

(d) Any passenger-type motor vehicle purchased for a state officer, except a constitutional officer, or a state employee shall be an American-made vehicle of the light class, as defined by the Department of General Services, unless excepted by the Director of General Services on the basis of unusual requirements, including, but not limited to, use by the Department of the California Highway Patrol, that would justify the need for a motor vehicle of a heavier class.

(e) General use mobile equipment having an original purchase price of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more shall not be rented or leased from a nonstate source and payment therefor shall not be made from any appropriation for the use of the Department of Transportation, without the prior approval of the Department of General Services after a determination that comparable state-owned equipment is not available, unless obtaining approval would endanger life or property, in which case the transaction and the justification for not having sought prior approval shall be reported immediately thereafter to the Department of General Services.

(f) For purposes of this section:

(1) “General use mobile equipment” means equipment that is listed in the Mobile Equipment Inventory of the State Equipment Council and capable of being used by more than one state agency, and shall not be deemed to refer to equipment having a practical use limited to the controlling state agency only. Section 575 of the Vehicle Code shall have no application to this section.

(2) “State agency” means a state agency, as defined pursuant to Section 11000. The University of California is requested and encouraged to have the Department of General Services perform the tasks identified in this section with respect to the acquisition or replacement of motor vehicles by the University of California. “State agency” does not include a district agricultural association, as defined in Section 3951 of the Food and Agricultural Code, or the Prison Industry Authority as established by Section 2800 of the Penal Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 36, Sec. 10. (AB 1812) Effective June 27, 2018.)