(a) Notwithstanding any other law, any department or agency may use the solicitation and alternative protest procedures outlined in this chapter for solicitations authorized under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10290) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12100). The Department of General Services shall develop procedures and guidelines for the implementation of this alternative protest process.

(b) To be eligible for this alternative protest process, the contracting department shall agree to participate in the Alternative Protest Process and the Department of General Services or the Department of Technology, as appropriate, shall indicate that the proposed solicitation shall be conducted as part of the Alternative Protest Process prior to release of the solicitation. Submission of a bid constitutes consent for participation in the Alternative Protest Process. Any protests filed in relation to the proposed contract award shall be conducted under the procedures set forth by the Department of General Services for the Alternative Protest Process.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any bid protest conducted under this chapter shall include one or more of the following alternative procedures:

(1) The Alternative Protest Process shall not prevent the commencement of work in accordance with the terms of any other contract awarded pursuant to this chapter. A contract may be entered into pending a final decision on the protest.

(2) The Department of General Services, in bid protests for procurements it conducts or supervises, shall review the protest within seven days of the filing date to determine if the protest is frivolous. If determined to be frivolous, the protest shall not proceed under this chapter until the bidder posts a protest bond in an amount not less than 10 percent of the estimated contract value, as determined by the Department of General Services in the solicitation.

(3) The Department of Technology, in bid protests for procurements it conducts or supervises pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 12100 and telecommunications procurements made pursuant to Section 12120, shall review the protest within seven days of the filing date to determine if the protest is frivolous. If determined to be frivolous, the protest shall not proceed under this chapter until the bidder posts a protest bond in an amount not less than 10 percent of the estimated contract value, as determined by the Department of Technology in the solicitation.

(4) The Director of General Services or the Director of Technology, as appropriate under paragraphs (2) and (3), shall issue a decision within a period not to exceed 45 days from the date the protest is filed.

(5) Arbitration, as defined and established by the Department of General Services, shall be the resolution tool.

(d) Authority to protest under this chapter shall be limited to participating bidders.

(1) Grounds for major information technology acquisition protests shall be limited to violations of the solicitation procedures and that the protestant should have been selected.

(2) Any other acquisition protest filed pursuant to this chapter shall be based on the ground that the bid or proposal should have been selected in accordance with selection criteria in the solicitation document.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 28, Sec. 72. (SB 71) Effective June 27, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 93 of Ch. 28.)