Government Code section 65658.15
(a)
Except as specified in subdivision (b), the project applicant shall enter into construction contracts with prime contractors only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:(1)
The contract contains an enforceable commitment that the prime contractor and subcontractors at every tier will use a skilled and trained workforce, as defined in Section 2601 of the Public Contract Code, to perform work on the development project that falls within an apprenticeable occupation in the building and construction trades. However, this enforceable commitment requirement shall not apply to any scopes of work where new bids are accepted pursuant to subdivision (b).(2)
The project applicant or prime contractor shall establish minimum bidding requirements for subcontractors that are objective to the maximum extent possible. The project applicant or prime contractor shall not impose any obstacles in the bid process for subcontractors that go beyond what is reasonable and commercially customary. The project applicant or prime contractor shall accept bids submitted by any bidder that meets the minimum criteria set forth in the bid solicitation.(3)
The prime contractor has provided an affidavit under penalty of perjury that, in compliance with this section, it will use a skilled and trained workforce and will obtain from its subcontractors an enforceable commitment to use a skilled and trained workforce for each scope of work in which it receives at least three bids attesting to satisfaction of the skilled and trained workforce requirements.(4)
When a prime contractor or subcontractor is required to provide an enforceable commitment that a skilled and trained workforce will be used to complete a contract or development project, the commitment shall be made in an enforceable agreement with the developer that provides the following:(A)
The prime contractor and subcontractors at every tier will comply with this section.(B)
The prime contractor will provide the project applicant, on a monthly basis while the project or contract is being performed, a report demonstrating compliance by the prime contractor.(C)
The prime contractor shall provide the project applicant, on a monthly basis while the development project or contract is being performed, the monthly reports demonstrating compliance submitted to the prime contractor by the affected subcontractors.(b)
If a prime contractor fails to receive at least three bids in a scope of construction work from subcontractors that attest to satisfying the skilled and trained workforce requirements as described in this section, the prime contractor may accept new bids for that scope of work. The prime contractor need not require that a skilled and trained workforce be used by the subcontractors for that scope of work.(c)
If the skilled and trained workforce requirements of this section apply, the prime contractor shall require subcontractors to provide, and subcontractors on the development project shall provide, both of the following to the prime contractor:(1)
An affidavit signed under penalty of perjury that a skilled and trained workforce shall be employed on the development project.(2)
Reports on a monthly basis, while the development project or contract is being performed, demonstrating compliance with this section.(d)
Upon issuing any invitation or bid solicitation for the development project, but no fewer than 14 business days before the bid is due, the project applicant or prime contractor shall send a notice of the invitation or solicitation that describes the development project to the following entities within the jurisdiction of the proposed development project site:(1)
Any bona fide labor organization representing workers in the building and construction trades who may perform work necessary to complete the development project and the local building and construction trades council.(2)
Any organization representing contractors that may perform work necessary to complete the development project, including any contractors’ association or regional builders’ exchange.(e)
The project applicant or prime contractor shall, within three business days of a request by a joint labor-management cooperation committee established pursuant to the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 175a), provide both of the following:(1)
The names and Contractors State License Board numbers of the prime contractor and any subcontractors that submitted a proposal or bid for the development project.(2)
The names and Contractors State License Board numbers of contractors and subcontractors that are under contract to perform construction work.(f)
(1)The project applicant shall provide to the locality, on a monthly basis while the development project or contract is being performed, a report demonstrating that the self-performing prime contractor and all nonexempt subcontractors used a skilled and trained workforce. A monthly report provided to the locality pursuant to this subdivision shall be a public record under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1) and shall be open to public inspection. A project applicant that fails to provide a complete monthly report shall be subject to a civil penalty of 10 percent of the dollar value of construction work performed by that contractor on the development project in the month in question, up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per month for each month for which the report has not been provided.(2)
Any subcontractor or prime contractor self-performing work subject to the skilled and trained workforce requirements under this section that fails to use a skilled and trained workforce shall be subject to a civil penalty of two hundred dollars ($200) per day for each worker employed in contravention of the skilled and trained workforce requirement. Penalties may be assessed by the Labor Commissioner within 18 months of completion of the development project using the same issuance of civil wage and penalty assessments pursuant to Section 1741 of the Labor Code and may be reviewed pursuant to the same procedures in Section 1742 of the Labor Code. The prime contractor shall not be jointly liable for violations of this paragraph by subcontractors. Penalties shall be paid to the State Public Works Enforcement Fund, the locality, or the labor standards enforcement agency of the locality, depending on the lead entity performing the enforcement work.(3)
Any provision of a contract or agreement of any kind between a project applicant and a prime contractor that purports to delegate, transfer, or assign to a prime contractor any obligations of or penalties incurred by a project applicant shall be deemed contrary to public policy and shall be void and unenforceable.(g)
The requirements of this section shall not apply if all contractors, subcontractors, and craft unions performing work on the development project are subject to a multicraft project labor agreement that requires the use of a skilled and trained workforce. The multicraft project labor agreement shall include all construction crafts with applicable coverage determinations for the specified scopes of work on the development project pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code and shall be executed by all applicable labor organizations regardless of affiliation.(h)
The locality shall have standing to take administrative action against or sue a construction contractor for failure to comply with this section. A prevailing lead agency shall distribute any wages and penalties to workers in accordance with law and retain any fees, additional penalties, or assessments.
Source:
Section 65658.15, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65658.15. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
