HB 1371

Abstract

Virginia Public Procurement Act; local arbitration agreements. Allows a participating locality, for any procurement solicitation or contract exceeding $10,000 for goods and services,to require the bidder or offeror to disclose certain informationregarding pre-dispute arbitration clauses, defined in the bill, inemployment, civil rights, and certain consumer disputes, and providesthat a locality may consider the policies and practices related toarbitration of each bidder and offeror. The bill also provides thata participating locality shall require the bidder or offeror to providewritten or electronic submissions to allow the locality to ascertain(i) whether the bidder or offeror requires persons with whom it isin a work relationship or prospective work relationship to sign orotherwise enter into a contract containing a pre-dispute arbitrationclause that would cover an employment or civil rights dispute and(ii) whether the bidder or offeror requires consumers to sign orotherwise enter into a contract containing a pre-dispute arbitrationclause as a condition of downloading mobile applications or using websites to pay a school district for goods, services, or fees. Thebill authorizes a participating locality to cancel, terminate, orsuspend, in whole or in part, the contract of any contractor thathas violated a provision of the bill and to declare the contractorineligible for further contracts with such locality for up to fiveyears.