Assembly Gets ‘Fast-Track’ Bill on Jails : Supporters Say Measure Could Cut 2 Years Off Building Time

New jail facilities could be built without time-consuming competitive bidding in Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties under a measure approved Monday by the Assembly Public Safety Committee and then sent to the full Assembly.

Backers said the “fast-tracking” bill by Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove) could reduce the planning and construction time for new jails by as much as two years.

The bill only applies to the state’s three most populous counties, where chronic overcrowding and other jail problems have given rise to lawsuits and where federal courts have ordered corrective measures.

A similar bill by Robinson passed the Assembly last year but stalled in the Senate after it was amended to include a $500-million bond issue for new state prisons.

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee objected at the time to the two issues’ being combined, and Robinson said he agreed. The prison bonds measure is still pending before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

San Diego County Added

Last year’s fast-tracking bill applied only to Los Angeles and Orange, but San Diego County was added Monday at the request of officials there.

Under the bill, the board of supervisors in each county can skip competitive bidding procedures as long as court orders are in effect or if jails are more than 20% overcrowded.

County officials would still be required to evaluate at least three proposals for jail construction and explain the reasons in writing if the lowest of the three bids is not accepted for the contract.

However, the bill would eliminate hearings, public notice and advertising requirements in the state’s Public Contract Code.