<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="Part IV – Debarment Procedures">
  <section prefix="§" num="40-15" heading="Reports.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Units to report to Board.">Each agency, instrumentality, and unit of the City shall promptly report to the Board any information that indicates a cause for debarment under:<para num="(1)">§ 40- 5 {“Automatic debarment for certain bribery offenses”};</para>
      <para num="(2)">§ 40-6 {”Other bribery offenses”};</para>
      <para num="(3)">§ 40-7 {“Violations of other laws”}; or</para>
      <para num="(4)">§ 40-8 {“Other events”}.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Board to seek copies of State reports.">The Board shall seek to obtain from the State Board of Public Works timely copies of reports made to the State Board under § 16-302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="40-16" heading="Notice and opportunity for hearing — automatic debarments.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Scope of section.">This section applies if:<para num="(1)">a person is convicted of an offense described in &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-5"&gt;§ 40-5 {“Automatic debarment for certain bribery offenses”} of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">that person or a business in which that person is a principal is seeking a contract with the City.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Notice of debarment.">When the Board learns of the conviction, the Board shall:<para num="(1)">notify the person of the person’s automatic debarment under &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-5"&gt;§ 40-5 of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">give the person reasonable opportunity to be heard on whether the stated basis for debarment exists.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="40-17" heading="Notice and opportunity for hearing — other debarments.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Scope of section.">This section applies if:<para num="(1)">a person is subject to debarment under § 40-6 {“Other bribery offenses”}, § 40-7 {“Violations of other laws”}, or &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-8"&gt;§ 40-8 {“Other events”} of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">that person or a business in which that person is a principal is seeking or is performing under a contract with the City.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Notice of proposed debarment.">
      <para num="(1)">When the Board receives information that indicates a basis for debarring a person under § 40-6, § 40-7, or &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-8"&gt;§ 40-8 of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;, the Board may institute debarment proceedings by notice to that person.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The notice shall state:<para num="(i)">the grounds for the debarment;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the person’s right to a hearing before the Board; and</para>
        <para num="(iii)">that the right to a hearing is waived unless the person files a request for hearing as required by subsection (c) of this section.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Request for hearing.">A request for a hearing must be:<para num="(1)">in writing; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">filed with the Board within 30 days after the person received the notice.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Debarment on failure to request hearing.">If the person fails to file a request for hearing as required by subsection (c) of this section, the person:<para num="(1)">waives the right to a hearing; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">is debarred.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="40-18" heading="Suspension pending decision.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Persons.">Pending a final decision on a debarment, the Board may suspend any person against whom debarment proceedings have been instituted under this subtitle.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Businesses.">A business is suspended to the same extent that a person is suspended under this section if:<para num="(1)">the suspended person’s debarment would cause the debarment of the business under &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-20"&gt;§ 40-20 {“Debarment of businesses”} of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">the Board notifies the business of its suspension under this subsection.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Modification or termination.">
      <para num="(1)">A person or business suspended under this section may petition the Board to modify or terminate the suspension.</para>
      <para num="(2)">In its sole discretion, the Board may conduct a hearing on the petition.</para>
      <para num="(3)">In considering the petition, the Board shall determine whether the integrity of the contracting process and the best interests of the City would be served by continuing, modifying, or terminating the suspension.</para>
      <para num="(4)">The Board shall give the petitioner notice of the Board’s decision.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="40-19" heading="Hearing and decision.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Hearing.">
      <para num="(1)">Within 90 days after receipt of a request for a hearing, the Board shall:<para num="(i)">conduct a hearing; and</para>
        <para num="(ii)">decide whether the person should be debarred.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(2)">The time for hearing and decision may be extended by the Board for good cause shown.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Factors to be considered.">In a proceeding under § 40-6, § 40-7, or &lt;cite data-path="|5|§40-8"&gt;§ 40-8 of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;, the Board shall:<para num="(1)">determine whether the integrity of the contracting process and the best interests of the City would be served by debarring the person from entering into or performing contracts with the City; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">for that purpose, consider all relevant factors, including:<para num="(i)">the nature and seriousness of the act that caused the person to be subject to debarment;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the time the act occurred;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">whether and to what extent the person cooperated with authorities investigating the matter;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">the conditions under which the person cooperated; and</para>
        <para num="(v)">the conduct of the person since the act occurred.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Decision.">
      <para num="(1)">The Board shall notify the person of the Board’s decision.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The notice shall:<para num="(i)">state whether the person is debarred for the act in question; and</para>
        <para num="(ii)">if the person is debarred, state the period of debarment.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="40-20" heading="Debarment of businesses.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Grounds.">A business is debarred from entering into or performing under a contract with the City if the Board debars any principal in that business.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Scope of debarment.">A business debarred under subsection (a) of this section is debarred to the same extent as the debarred principal.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Duration.">A business remains debarred under this section:<para num="(1)">as long as the debarred person remains with the business in any principal capacity; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">until the debarment is removed in accordance with this subtitle.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Notice.">The Board shall notify a business of any debarment of the business under this section.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 00-005</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
