2016 -- H 8193

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LC005734

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - CONTRACTORS' BONDS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Carnevale, Slater, McKiernan, and O'Brien

     Date Introduced: May 11, 2016

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 37-12-1, 37-12-2 and 37-12-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 37-

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12 entitled "Contractors' Bonds" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     37-12-1. Contractors required to give bond -- Terms and conditions. -- Every person

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(which word for the purposes of this chapter shall include a copartnership, a number of persons

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engaged in a joint enterprise, or a corporation), before being awarded a contract by the

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department of transportation or by the department of administration, as the case may be, and

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every person awarded such a contract as a general contractor or construction or project manager

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for the construction, improvement, completion, or repair of any public road or portion thereof or

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of any bridge in which the contract price shall be in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or

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for a contract for the construction, improvement, completion, or repair of any public building, or

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portion thereof, shall be required to furnish to the respective department a bond of that person to

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the state, with good and sufficient surety or sureties (hereafter in this chapter referred to as

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surety), acceptable to the respective department, in a sum not less than fifty percent (50%) and

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not more than one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price, conditioned that the contractor,

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principal in the bond, the person's executors, administrators, or successors, shall in all things, well

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and truly keep and perform the covenants, conditions, and agreements in the contract, and in any

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alterations thereof made as therein provided, on the person's part to be kept and performed, at the

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time and in the manner therein specified, and in all respects according to their true intent and

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meaning, and shall indemnify and save harmless the state, the respective department, and all of its

 

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officers, agents, and employees, as therein stipulated, and shall also promptly pay for all such

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labor performed or furnished, together with any penalties, assessments, and fines due under law

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for nonpayment or late payment of wages due, and for all such materials and equipment

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furnished, (which as to equipment shall mean payment of the reasonable rental value, as

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determined by the respective department, of its use during the period of its use), as shall be used

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in the carrying on of the work covered by the contract, or shall see that they are promptly paid

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for, whether or not the labor is directly performed for or furnished to the contractor or is even

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directly performed upon the work covered by the contract, and whether or not the materials are

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furnished to the contractor or become component parts of the work, and whether or not the

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equipment is furnished to the contractor or even directly used upon the work. The bond shall

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contain the provisions that it is subject to all such rights and powers of the respective department

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and such other provisions as are set forth in the contract and the plans, specifications, and

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proposal incorporated by reference in the contract, and that no extension of the time of

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performance of the contract or delay in the completion of the work thereunder or any alterations

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thereof, made as therein provided, shall invalidate the bond or release the liability of the surety

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thereunder. Waiver of the bonding requirements of this section is expressly prohibited.

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     37-12-2. Rights of persons furnishing labor and materials. -- Every person who shall

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have performed labor and every person who shall have furnished or supplied labor, material, or

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equipment in the prosecution of the work provided for in the contract, in respect of which a

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payment bond is furnished under ยง 37-12-1, and who has not been paid in full therefor before the

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expiration of a period of ninety (90) days after the day on which the last of the labor was

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performed or furnished by him or her, or material or equipment furnished or supplied by him or

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her for which a claim is made, shall have the right to sue on the payment bond for the amount, or

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the balance thereof, unpaid at the time of institution of the suit and to prosecute the action to final

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execution and judgment for the sum or sums justly due him or her in addition to other available

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relief; provided, however, that any person having direct contractual relationship with a

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subcontractor but no contractual relationship express or implied with the contractor furnishing the

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payment bond shall have a right of action upon the payment bond upon giving written notice to

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the contractor within ninety (90) days from the date on which the person furnished or performed

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the last of the labor, or furnished or supplied the last of the material or equipment for which the

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claim is made, stating with substantial accuracy the amount claimed and the name of the party to

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whom the labor was furnished or performed or the material or equipment was furnished or

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supplied. The notice shall be served by mailing the same by certified mail, postage prepaid, in an

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envelope addressed to the contractor at any place he or she maintains an office, conducts his or

 

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her business, or his or her residence.

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     37-12-3. Remedies of creditors and state -- Priority of claims. -- The remedy on the

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bond shall be by a civil action brought in the superior court for the counties of Providence and

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Bristol and in any suit brought on the bond the rights of the state shall be prior to those of all

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creditors. The rights of the state shall include any penalties, assessments, and fines due under law

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for nonpayment or late payment of wages due. The rights of persons who shall have performed

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labor as aforesaid shall be prior to the rights of all other creditors, and there shall be no priorities

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among laborers or among other creditors under the bond. The state, either after having recovered

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a judgment against the contractor on the contract or without having recovered a judgment, may

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bring a suit on the bond against the contractor and surety on the bond, and may join as parties

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defendant in the suit any persons claiming to have rights under the bond as creditors; and, if it has

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not brought such a suit, it may at any time before a final and conclusive decree, intervene and

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become a party in any suit brought, as hereafter provided in this chapter, by any person claiming

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to be a creditor under the bond.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY AND WORKS - CONTRACTORS' BONDS

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     This act would expand the penalties which public works contractors can be assessed for

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failing to properly pay persons for the services they provide to them.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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