(a) A person who submits, or who plans to submit, a proposal in response to a procurement solicitation may protest any acquisition conducted in accordance with Sections 120222 and 120223 as follows:
(1) Protests based on the content of the procurement solicitation shall be filed with the board within 10 calendar days after the procurement solicitation is first advertised. The general manager or the chief executive officer, or the designee of the general manager or chief executive officer, shall issue a written decision on the protest prior to opening of the procurement solicitation. A protest may be renewed by refiling the protest with the board within 15 calendar days after the mailing of the notice of the intent to award.
(2) Any bidder may protest the intent to award on any ground not based upon the content of the procurement solicitation by filing a protest with the board within 15 calendar days after the mailing of the notice of the intent to award.
(3) Any protest shall contain a full and complete written statement specifying in detail the grounds of the protest and the facts supporting the protest. Protestors shall have an opportunity to appear and be heard before the board prior to the opening of the procurement solicitation in the case of protests based on the content of the procurement solicitation, or prior to final award in the case of protests based on other grounds or the renewal of protests based on the content of the procurement solicitation.
(b) The decision of the protest by the board shall be in writing and constitutes a final administrative decision for purposes of judicial review pursuant to Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 557, Sec. 13. Effective October 5, 2005.)