Okla. Admin. Code § 730:25-3-5

Current through Vol. 42, No. 7, December 16, 2024

Section 730:25-3-5 - Debarments and suspensions

(a)Debarment. A contractor, any of its directors, officers, agents, or employees, any affiliate of a contractor, any subcontractor, or any material supplier shall be subject to debarment proceeding for the reasons set forth in this section. For purposes of this section, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere shall be considered a conviction.

(1) Debarment may occur for any of the following reasons:

(A) Conviction of a bidding crime which shall be defined as any act prohibited by any State or Federal law committed, by any court in any jurisdiction, when such act involves fraud, conspiracy, collusion, perjury or material misrepresentation with respect to any contract, public or private; or

(B) Conviction of a crime involving fraud, moral turpitude, or offenses against the public contracting laws of the United States or any State of the United States; or

(C) Conviction of any offense indication a lack of moral and ethical integrity by any court in any jurisdiction, which may reasonably be perceived as relating to or reflection upon the business practices of the company, its officers, or directors; or

(D) Any other cause of a serious and compelling nature affecting the responsibility of the contractor; or

(E) Disqualification or debarment by another state or an agency of this State, or an agency of the Federal Government; or

(F) Failure or refusal to comply with the terms of the contract or State law; or

(G) Failure to fulfill obligations imposed by or as a result of the contract with the state or by state law.

(2) No conviction, whether from bench or jury trial, nor any plea of guilty or nolo contendere which is more than five (5) years old at the time of discovery by the Department shall be used as the sole basis for a debarment.

(3) Upon preliminary determination by the Department that a contractor is subject to debarment under this subchapter, the Director shall cause the contractor or other entity or individual to be notified by certified mail that its prequalification has been suspended or its opportunity to participate in Department contracts is suspended pending determination of whether a debarment should be imposed, and that the contractor has the right to request a hearing.

(4) If the contractor desires a hearing, a Petition for Administrative Appeal shall be filed by certified mail with the Hearing Liaison Officer postmarked within ten (10) days after receipt of the notice of suspension pending debarment (weekends and holidays excluded). Filing may also be made in person by the contractor.

(5) The hearing shall be held no more than 180 calendar days from the date the request for hearing is received by the Hearing Liaison Officer unless the hearing date is continued by the Presiding Officer at the request of the contractor or by agreement of the parties.

(6) Debarment by the Department for the reasons stated in (a)(1)(A-D) or (a)(1)(F-G) of this section shall be for a period of three (3) years. However, if circumstances warrant, the Department may impose a longer period.

(7) Debarment for the reason stated in (a)(1)(E) of this section shall be for the period of time assessed by the originating agency.

(8) The Director may lift or suspend a debarment at any time if it is in the public interest. The following mitigating circumstances may influence this decision:

(A) Degree of culpability.

(B) Restitution of damages to the State.

(C) Cooperation in the investigation of other bidding crimes.

(D) Disassociation with those involved in bidding crimes or other improper action.

(E) Whether lengthy disqualification and debarment is required for protection of the State.

(9) Debarment shall prohibit the debarred contractor, its owner(s) and all immediate family members who acquire the assets of the company, as well as, all directors, officers, agents, employees and affiliates from acting as a subcontractor, materials supplier, equipment supplier or lessor, labor or services contractor, fee appraiser, contract broker, inspector, real estate agent or broker, consultant, architect, engineer, or attorney on any Department project, as well as denying the privilege of bidding as a prime contractor. Family members who shall have been independently prequalified, prior to the debarment, or those who may acquire the assets and equipment of the debarred contractor, at market value, by public auction or other demonstratable arms length transaction, subsequent to the debarment, shall not be considered subject to the debarment action.

(10) Illegal or improper conduct of any individual may be fully imputed to the business firm with which the individual is or was associated, or by whom the individual was employed, where that conduct was engaged in within the course of the individual's employment, or with knowledge or approval of the business firm, or thereafter ratified by it.

(11) Debarment in no way affects the obligations of a contractor to the Department to complete services already under contract, however the Commission reserves the right to terminate the contracts of a debarred entity if termination is in the best interest of the State.

(12) The Director may, in the public's best interest, suspend or otherwise delay inquiry, review, or any debarment in the event such action may impede, hinder or delay Federal or State investigations.

(13) Any contractor qualified to bid upon contracts to be awarded by the Commission shall have a duty to notify the Department if it is convicted of any bidding crime within thirty (30) days of such conviction. Failure to furnish this notification is a serious and compelling offense sufficient to result in debarment in and of itself.

(b)Performance suspension. A contractor, any of its directors, officers, agents, or employees, any affiliate of a contractor, any subcontractor, or material supplier may be suspended from doing work for the Department or participation in a project funded by the Department.

(1) Performance suspension may occur for any of the following reasons:

(A) If the contractor, person, or entity, including subcontractors, proposed for suspension fails or refuses to prosecute all of the work or any separable part thereof, with such diligence as will ensure its completion within the time specified in the contract, including any extension, or fails to complete the work under any one of the contractor's contracts within the time specified; or

(B) A completed investigation or civil judgment evidences a serious lack of business integrity; the contractor exhibits willful disregard for lawful requirements; there is repeated noncompliance with rules, regulations, contract specifications or the terms of other agreements including failure to honor valid debts incurred in the performance of the project; or

(C) Indictment for crimes involving fraud, moral turpitude, or offenses against the public contracting law of the United States or any State of the United States; or

(D) Indictment for a bidding crime which shall be defined as any act prohibited by any State or Federal law, committed in any jurisdiction, when said act involves fraud, conspiracy, collusion, perjury or any material misrepresentation with regards to any contract, public or private; or

(E) An indictment for crimes or a civil judgment which indicates a reckless disregard for safety of the traveling public or structural integrity of a highway, bridge or fixtures, so that continued involvement of the suspected offender creates a risk to public safety or a potential for structural failures; or

(F) Disqualification or suspension by another State or an agency of this State or an agency of the Federal government; or

(G) A demonstrated lack of proficiency in performing work on Department projects evidenced by performance evaluations of "unsatisfactory" on three (3) ratings in one (1) year, or

(H) Three (3) reports of safety violations in which there were significant risk to the health or life of a person or significant damage to property or one (1) report of a safety violation in which gross neglect or reckless disregard for the health or life of a person occurred.

(2) The Director or his designee may impose performance suspension upon a contractor for a period of not less than twelve (12) months or more than sixty (60) months as may be specified in the final agency order upon:

(A) Failure by the contractor to timely file a Petition for Administrative Appeal after proper notification of proposed performance suspension by the Hearing Liaison Officer.

(B) Conclusion of an administrative review hearing in accordance with 730:25-3-6(e)(3).

(3) Upon preliminary determination by the Department that a contractor is subject to performance suspension under this subchapter, the Hearing Liaison Officer shall notify the contractor by certified mail that his prequalification has been temporarily suspended pending determination of whether a performance suspension should be imposed, and that the contractor has the right to request a hearing as set forth in this section.

(4) If the contractor desires a hearing, a Petition for Administrative Appeal shall be filed by certified mail with the Hearing Liaison Officer postmarked within ten (10) days after receipt of notice of temporary suspension (weekends and holidays excluded). Filing may also be made in person by the contractor.

(5) The hearing shall be held no more than (180) calendar days from the date the request for hearing is received by the Hearing Liaison Officer unless continued by the Presiding Officer at the request of the contractor or by mutual agreement of the parties. Except as otherwise ordered by the Presiding Officer or the Director, the proposed suspension shall be held in abeyance during the time the hearing is pending.

(6) Performance suspension shall prohibit the contractor, all immediate family members who acquire that company assets, as well as, all directors, officers, employees of the contractor and affiliates from acting as a subcontractor, materials supplier, equipment supplier or lessor, labor or services contractor, fee appraiser, contract broker, inspector, real estate agent or broker, consultant, architect, engineer, or attorney of any Department project as well as denying the privilege of bidding as a prime contractor. Family members who shall have been independently prequalified, prior to the suspension, or those who may acquire the assets and equipment of the suspended contractor, at market value, by public auction or other demonstratable arms length transaction, subsequent to the suspension, shall not be considered subject to the suspension action.

(7) Illegal or improper conduct of any individual may be fully imputed to the business firm with which the individual is or was associated, or by whom the individual was employed, where that conduct was engaged in within the course of the individual's employment, or with knowledge or approval of the business firm, or was thereafter ratified by it.

(8) Performance suspension in no way affects the obligations of a contractor to the Department to complete services already under contract, however the Commission reserves the right to terminate the contracts of a suspended entity if termination is in the best interests of the State.

(c)Burden of proof. A proper filing of a Petition for Administrative Appeal by a contractor who has been notified of debarment or performance suspension shall give effect to the notice of hearing and appeals procedures contained in 730:25-3-6. At such hearing on the merits it shall be the burden of the Department to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the contractor did or failed to do those acts or omissions which resulted in the notification of the contractor of debarment or performance suspension.

Okla. Admin. Code § 730:25-3-5

Amended at 12 Ok Reg 1269, eff 5-11-95; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1357, eff 5-11-01; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 1367, eff 5-26-05; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1710, eff 6-12-08