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<section article="gsf" article_name="State Finance and Procurement" number="15-113" title_number="15" title_name="Procurement Contract Administration and Dispute Resolution" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Procurement Contract Administration">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “liquidated damages” means damages in an amount designated by the parties to a contract that the injured party is eligible to collect as compensation for a specific breach of the contract.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before January 1, 2024, the Board, in consultation with the Procurement Improvement Council, shall publish a model policy concerning the inclusion and use of liquidated damages provisions in procurement contracts.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The model policy shall include the following elements:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>guidance on when to include liquidated damages provisions in procurement contracts, including:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>instances where liquidated damages provisions are required by law, including the requirements under §§ 14–303, 17–220, 17–222, and 18–108 of this Division II; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>conditions where liquidated damages provisions are recommended to protect State interests;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>guidance for drafting liquidated damages provisions, including recommended methods for calculating the amount to be assessed;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a draft plan for responding to deficiencies in a contractor’s performance that may trigger a liquidated damages provision, reviewed by legal counsel for the Board; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>examples of liquidated damages provisions that may be used in a procurement contract with appropriate modification by the unit.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Board may propose alternative elements or models based on contract type.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Board may delegate the duties under this subsection to the Procurement Improvement Council established under § 12–105 of this Division II.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, on or before July 1, 2024, a unit shall adopt a written policy concerning the inclusion and use of liquidated damages provisions in procurement contracts by the unit that is substantially similar to the model policy established under subsection (b) of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A primary procurement unit may establish a policy as required under paragraph (1) of this subsection that is applicable to those procurements that are within the control authority of the primary procurement unit.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A unit that performs a procurement subject to the control authority of a primary procurement unit shall apply the liquidated damages policy established by the primary procurement unit to any resulting procurement contract.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A unit shall obtain the approval of the head of the unit if the unit decides not to include in a contract a liquidated damages clause specified under § 13–218(a)(4) of this article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>If a unit decides not to pursue liquidated damages when a specified breach associated with a liquidated damages provision has occurred, the unit shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>obtain the approval of the decision by the head of the unit;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>maintain documentation on the reason the unit decided not to pursue liquidated damages; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>provide documentation to the Board and the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee on the reason that the unit intends not to pursue liquidated damages.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
