Illinois Code § 50-10.5

§ 50-10.5.

Prohibited bidders, offerors, potential contractors, and contractors. (a) Unless otherwise provided, no business shall bid, offer, enter into a contract or subcontract under this Code, or make a submission to a vendor portal if the business or any officer, director, partner, or other managerial agent of the business has been convicted of a felony under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or a Class 3 or Class 2 felony under the Illinois Securities Law of 1953 for a period of 5 years from the date of conviction. (b) Every bid and offer submitted to the State, every contract executed by the State, every vendor's submission to a vendor portal, and every subcontract subject to Section 20-120 of this Code shall contain a certification by the bidder, offeror, potential contractor, contractor, or subcontractor, respectively, that the bidder, offeror, potential contractor, contractor, or subcontractor is not barred from being awarded a contract or subcontract under this Section and acknowledges that the chief procurement officer shall declare the related contract void if any of the certifications completed pursuant to this subsection (b) are false. If the false certification is made by a subcontractor, then the contractor's submitted bid or offer and the executed contract may not be declared void, unless the contractor refuses to terminate the subcontract upon the State's request after a finding that the subcontract's certification was false. (c) If a business is not a natural person, the prohibition in subsection (a) applies only if: (1) the business itself is convicted of a felony referenced in subsection (a); or (2) the business is ordered to pay punitive damages based on the conduct of any officer, director, partner, or other managerial agent who has been convicted of a felony referenced in subsection (a). (d) A natural person who is convicted of a felony referenced in subsection (a) remains subject to Section 50-10. (e) No person or business shall bid, offer, make a submission to a vendor portal, or enter into a contract under this Code if the person or business assisted an employee of the State of Illinois, who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract, by reviewing, drafting, directing, or preparing any invitation for bids, a request for proposal, or request for information or provided similar assistance except as part of a publicly issued opportunity to review drafts of all or part of these documents. This subsection does not prohibit a person or business from submitting a bid or offer or entering into a contract if the person or business: (i) initiates a communication with an employee to provide general information about products, services, or industry best practices, (ii) responds to a communication initiated by an employee of the State for the purposes of providing information to evaluate new products, trends, services, or technologies, or (iii) asks for clarification regarding a solicitation, so long as there is no competitive advantage to the person or business and the question and answer, if material, are posted to the Illinois Procurement Bulletin as an addendum to the solicitation. Nothing in this Section prohibits a vendor developing technology, goods, or services from bidding or offering to supply that technology or those goods or services if the subject demonstrated to the State represents industry trends and innovation and is not specifically designed to meet the State's needs. Nothing in this Section prohibits a person performing construction-related services from initiating contact with a business that performs construction for the purpose of obtaining market costs or production time to determine the estimated costs to complete the construction project. For purposes of this subsection (e), "business" includes all individuals with whom a business is affiliated, including, but not limited to, any officer, agent, employee, consultant, independent contractor, director, partner, or manager of a business. No person or business shall submit specifications to a State agency unless requested to do so by an employee of the State. No person or business who contracts with a State agency to write specifications for a particular procurement need shall submit a bid or proposal or receive a contract for that procurement need. Nothing in this subsection (e) shall prohibit a person or business from submitting an unsolicited proposal under Section 19 of the Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Act. (Source: P.A. 103-865, eff. 1-1-25.)