The Legislature finds and declares that, with the advent of deregulation in the telecommunications industry, substantial cost savings can be realized by the state through the specialized evaluation and acquisition of alternative telecommunications systems. Any contract for the acquisition of telecommunications services and any contract for the acquisition of telecommunications goods, whether by lease or purchase, shall be made by, or under the supervision of, the Department of Technology. Any acquisition shall be accomplished in accordance with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12100), relating to the acquisition of information technology goods and services, except to the extent any directive or provision is uniquely applicable to information technology acquisitions. The Department of Technology shall have responsibility for the establishment of policy and procedures for telecommunications. The Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall assume the functions of the agency with regard to acquisition of telecommunications goods and services by the California State University and the California Community Colleges, respectively. The trustees and the board shall each grant to the agency an opportunity to bid whenever the university or the college system solicits bids for telecommunications goods and services.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 28, Sec. 69. (SB 71) Effective June 27, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 93 of Ch. 28.)