MASTER GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Master Agreement is made and entered into, by and between the Houston-Galveston Area Council hereinafter referred to as H-GAC having its principal place of business at 3555 Timmons Lane, Suite 120, Houston, Texas 77027 and Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the Contractor, having its principal place of business at 7400 Reese Road, Sacramento, CA 95828.
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, H-GAC hereby engages the Contractor to perform certain services in accordance with the specifications of the Master Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Contractor has agreed to perform such services in accordance with the specifications of the Master Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, H-GAC and the Contractor do hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1: LEGAL AUTHORITY
The Contractor warrants and assures H-GAC that it possesses adequate legal authority to enter into this Master Agreement. The Contractor's governing body, where applicable, has authorized the signatory official(s) to enter into this Master Agreement and bind the Contractor to the terms of this Master Agreement and any subsequent amendments hereto.
ARTICLE 2: APPLICABLE LAWS
The Contractor agrees to conduct all activities under this Master Agreement in accordance with all federal laws, executive orders, policies, procedures, applicable rules, regulations, directives, standards, ordinances, and laws, in effect or promulgated during the term of this Master Agreement, including without limitation, workers’ compensation laws, minimum and maximum salary and wage statutes and regulations, and licensing laws and regulations. When required, the Contractor shall furnish H-GAC with satisfactory proof of its compliance therewith.
ARTICLE 3: PUBLIC INFORMATION
Except as stated below, all materials submitted to H-GAC, including any attachments, appendices, or other information submitted as a part of a submission or Master Agreement, are considered public information, and become the property of H-GAC upon submission and may be reprinted, published, or distributed in any manner by H-GAC according to open records laws, requirements of the US Department of Labor and the State of Texas, and H-GAC policies and procedures. In the event the Contractor wishes to claim portions of the response are not subject to the Texas Public Information Act, it shall so; however, the determination of the Texas Attorney General as to whether such information must be disclosed upon a public request shall be binding on the Contractor. H-GAC will request such a determination only if Contractor bears all costs for preparation of the submission. H-GAC is not responsible for the return of creative examples of work submitted. H-GAC will not be held accountable if material from submissions is obtained without the written consent of the contractor by parties other than H-GAC, at any time during the evaluation process.
ARTICLE 4: INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
The execution of this Master Agreement and the rendering of services prescribed by this Master Agreement do not change the independent status of H-GAC or the Contractor. No provision of this Master Agreement or act of HGAC in performance of the Master Agreement shall be construed as making the Contractor the agent, servant, or DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 120 492
employee of H-GAC, the State of Texas, or the United States Government. Employees of the Contractor are subject to the exclusive control and supervision of the Contractor. The Contractor is solely responsible for employee related disputes and discrepancies, including employee payrolls and any claims arising therefrom.
ARTICLE 5: ANTI-COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR
Contractor will not collude, in any manner, or engage in any practice which may restrict or eliminate competition or otherwise restrain trade.
ARTICLE 6: SUSPENSION AND DEBARMENT
Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689) – A contract award (2 CFR 180.220) must not be made to parties listed on the government-wide exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR Part 1966 Comp. p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR Part 1989 Comp. p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” SAM Exclusions contains the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549.
Pursuant to the Federal Rule above, Respondent certifies that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation by any federal department or agency or by the State of Texas and at all times during the term of the Contract neither it nor its principals will be debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation by any federal department or agency or by the State of Texas Respondent shall immediately provide the written notice to H-GAC if at any time the Respondent learns that this certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances. H-GAC may rely upon a certification of the Respondent that the Respondent is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered contract, unless the H-GAC knows the certification is erroneous.
ARTICLE 7: GOAL FOR CONTRACTING WITH SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESSES, WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, AND LABOR SURPLUS AREA FIRMS (if subcontracts are to be let) H-GAC’s goal is to assure that small and minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible in providing services under a contract. In accordance with federal procurements requirements of 2 CFR §200.321, if subcontracts are to be let, the prime contractor must take the affirmative steps listed below:
1. Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women’s business enterprises on solicitation lists;
2. Assuring that small and minority businesses and women’s business enterprises are solicited whenever they are potential sources;
3. Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller task or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority businesses, and women’s business enterprises;
4. Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by small and minority businesses, and women’s business enterprises;
5. Using the services and assistance as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.
6. Nothing in this provision will be construed to require the utilization of any firm that is either unqualified or unavailable. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the primary reference and database for information on requirements related to Federal Subcontracting https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/primesubcontracting NOTE: The term DBE as used in this solicitation is understood to encompass all programs/business enterprises such as: Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) or other designation as issued by a certifying agency.
Contractor agrees to work with and assist HGACBuy customer in meeting any DBE targets and goals, as may be required by any rules, processes, or programs they might have in place. Assistance may include compliance with reporting requirements, provision of documentation, consideration of Certified/Listed DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 121 493
subcontractors, provision of documented evidence that an active participatory role for a DBE entity was considered in a procurement transaction, etc.
ARTICLE 8: SCOPE OF SERVICES
The services to be performed by the Contractor are outlined in an Attachment to this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 9: PERFORMANCE PERIOD
This Master Agreement shall be performed during the period which begins Dec 01 2023 and ends Nov 30 2027.
All services under this Master Agreement must be rendered within this performance period, unless directly specified under a written change or extension provisioned under Article 21, which shall be fully executed by both parties to this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 10: PAYMENT OR FUNDING
Payment provisions under this Master Agreement are outlined in the Special Provisions. H-GAC will not pay for any expenses incurred prior to the execution date of a contract, or any expenses incurred after the termination date of the contract.
ARTICLE 11: PAYMENT FOR WORK
The H-GAC Customer is responsible for making payment to the Contractor upon delivery and acceptance of the goods or completion of the services and submission of the subsequent invoice.
ARTICLE 12: PAYMENT TERMS/PRE-PAYMENT/QUANTITY DISCOUNTS If discounts for accelerated payment, pre-payment, progress payment, or quantity discounts are offered, they must be clearly indicated in the Contractor’s submission prior to contract award. The applicability or acceptance of these terms is at the discretion of the Customer.
ARTICLE 13: REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
If the Contractor fails to submit to H-GAC in a timely and satisfactory manner any report required by this Master Agreement, or otherwise fails to satisfactorily render performances hereunder, H-GAC may terminate this Master Agreement with notice as identified in Article 29 of these General Provisions. H-GAC has final determination of the adequacy of performance and reporting by Contractor. Termination of this Master Agreement for failure to perform may affect Contractor’s ability to participate in future opportunities with H-GAC. The Contractor's failure to timely submit any report may also be considered cause for termination of this Master Agreement. Any additional reporting requirements shall be set forth in the Special Provisions of this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 14: INSURANCE
Contractor shall maintain insurance coverage for work performed or services rendered under this Master Agreement as outlined and defined in the attached Special Provisions.
ARTICLE 15: SUBCONTRACTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Except as may be set forth in the Special Provisions, the Contractor agrees not to assign, transfer, convey, sublet, or otherwise dispose of this Master Agreement or any right, title, obligation, or interest it may have therein to any third party without prior written approval of H-GAC. The Contractor acknowledges that H-GAC is not liable to any subcontractor or assignee of the Contractor. The Contractor shall ensure that the performance rendered under all subcontracts shall result in compliance with all the terms and provisions of this Master Agreement as if the performance rendered was rendered by the Contractor. Contractor shall give all required notices, and comply with all laws and regulations applicable to furnishing and performance of the work. Except where otherwise expressly required by applicable law or regulation, H-GAC shall not be responsible for monitoring Contractor's compliance, or that of Contractor’s subcontractors, with any laws or regulations.
ARTICLE 16: AUDIT
Notwithstanding any other audit requirement, H-GAC reserves the right to conduct or cause to be conducted an independent audit of any transaction under this Master Agreement, such audit may be performed by the H-GAC DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 122 494
local government audit staff, a certified public accountant firm, or other auditors designated by H-GAC and will be conducted in accordance with applicable professional standards and practices. The Contractor understands and agrees that the Contractor shall be liable to the H-GAC for any findings that result in monetary obligations to HGAC.
ARTICLE 17: TAX EXEMPT STATUS
H-GAC and Customer members are either units of government or qualified non-profit agencies, and are generally exempt from Federal and State sales, excise or use taxes. Respondent must not include taxes in its Response. It is the responsibility of Contractor to determine the applicability of any taxes to an order and act accordingly.
Exemption certificates will be provided upon request.
ARTICLE 18: EXAMINATION OF RECORDS
The Contractor shall maintain during the course of the work complete and accurate records of all of the Contractor's costs and documentation of items which are chargeable to H-GAC under this Master Agreement. HGAC, through its staff or designated public accounting firm, the State of Texas, and United States Government, shall have the right at any reasonable time to inspect, copy and audit those records on or off the premises by authorized representatives of its own or any public accounting firm selected by H-GAC. The right of access to records is not limited to the required retention period, but shall last as long as the records are retained. Failure to provide access to records may be cause for termination of the Master Agreement. The records to be thus maintained and retained by the Contractor shall include (without limitation): (1) personnel and payroll records, including social security numbers and labor classifications, accounting for total time distribution of the Contractor's employees working full or part time on the work, as well as cancelled payroll checks, signed receipts for payroll payments in cash, or other evidence of disbursement of payroll payments; (2) invoices for purchases, receiving and issuing documents, and all other unit inventory records for the Contractor's stocks or capital items; and (3) paid invoices and cancelled checks for materials purchased and for subcontractors' and any other third parties' charges.
Contractor agrees that H-GAC will have the right, with reasonable notice, to inspect its records pertaining to purchase orders processed and the accuracy of the fees payable to H-GAC. The Contractor further agrees that the examination of records outlined in this article shall be included in all subcontractor or third-party Master Agreements.
ARTICLE 19: RETENTION OF RECORDS
The Contractor and its subcontractors shall maintain all records pertinent to this Master Agreement, and all other financial, statistical, property, participant records, and supporting documentation for a period of no less than seven (7) years from the later of the date of acceptance of the final payment or until all audit findings have been resolved.
If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the retention period, the records shall be retained until completion of the action and resolution of all issues which arise from it, or until the end of the seven (7) years, whichever is later, and until any outstanding litigation, audit, or claim has been fully resolved.
ARTICLE 20: DISTRIBUTORS, VENDORS, RESELLERS
Contractor agrees and acknowledges that any such designations of distributors, vendors, resellers or the like are for the convenience of the Contractor only and the awarded Contractor will remain responsible and liable for all obligations under the Contract and the performance of any designated distributor, vendor, reseller, etc. Contractor is also responsible for receiving and processing any Customer purchase order in accordance with the Contract and forwarding of the Purchase Order to the designated distributor, vendor, reseller, etc. to complete the sale or service.
H-GAC reserves the right to reject any entity acting on the Contractor’s behalf or refuse to add entities after a contract is awarded.
ARTICLE 21: CHANGE ORDERS AND AMENDMENTS
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A. Any alterations, additions, or deletions to the terms of this Master Agreement, which are required by changes in federal or state law or by regulations, are automatically incorporated without written amendment hereto, and shall become effective on the date designated by such law or by regulation.
B. To ensure the legal and effective performance of this Master Agreement, both parties agree that any amendment that affects the performance under this Master Agreement must be mutually agreed upon and that all such amendments must be in writing. After a period of no less than 30 days subsequent to written notice, unless sooner implementation is required by law, such amendments shall have the effect of qualifying the terms of this Master Agreement and shall be binding upon the parties as if written herein.
C. Customers have the right to issue a change order to any purchase orders issued to the Contractor for the purposes of clarification or inclusion of additional specifications, qualifications, conditions, etc. The change order must be in writing and agreed upon by Contractor and the Customer agency prior to issuance of any Change Order. A copy of the Change Order must be provided by the Contractor to, and acknowledged by, H-GAC.
ARTICLE 22: CONTRACT ITEM CHANGES
A. If a manufacturer discontinues a contracted item, that item will automatically be considered deleted from the contract with no penalty to Contractor. However, H-GAC may at its sole discretion elect to make a contract award to the next lowest Respondent for the item, or take any other action deemed by H-GAC, at its sole discretion, to be in the best interests of its Customers.
B. If a manufacturer makes any kind of change in a contracted item which affects the contract price, Contractor must advise H-GAC of the details. H-GAC may allow or reject the change at its sole discretion.
If the change is rejected, H-GAC will remove the item from its program and there will be no penalty to Contractor. However, H- GAC may at its sole discretion elect to make a contract award to the next lowest Respondent for the item, or take any other action deemed by H-GAC, at its sole discretion, to be in the best interests of its Customers.
C. If a manufacturer makes any change in a contracted item which does not affect the contract price, Contractor shall advise H-GAC of the details. If the 'new' item is equal to or better than the originally contracted item, the 'new' item shall be approved as a replacement. If the change is rejected H-GAC will remove the item from its program and there will be no penalty to Contractor. However, H-GAC may at its sole discretion elect to make a contract award to the next lowest Respondent for the item or may take any other action deemed by H-GAC at its sole discretion, to be in the best interests of its Customers.
D. In the case of specifically identified catalogs or price sheets which have been contracted as base bid items or as published options, routine published changes to products and pricing will be automatically incorporated into the contract. However, Contractor must still provide written notice and an explanation of the changes to products and pricing. H-GAC will respond with written approval.
ARTICLE 23: CONTRACT PRICE ADJUSTMENTS
Price Decreases
If Contractor’s Direct Cost decreases at any time during the full term of this award, Contractor must immediately pass the decrease on to H-GAC and lower its prices by the amount of the decrease in Direct Cost. (Direct Cost means Contractor’s cost from the manufacturer of any item or if Contractor is the manufacturer, the cost of raw materials required to manufacture the item, plus costs of transportation from manufacturer to Contractor and Contractor to H-GAC. Contractor must notify H-GAC of price decreases in the same way as for price increases set out below. The price decrease shall become effective upon H-GAC’s receipt of Contractor’s notice. If Contractor routinely offers discounted contract pricing, H-GAC may request Contractor accept amended contract pricing equivalent to the routinely discounted pricing.
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Price Increase
Contractors may request a price increase for items priced as Base Bid items and Published Options. The amount of any increase will not exceed actual documented increase in Contractor’s Direct Cost and will not exceed 10% of the previous bid price. Considerations on the percentage limit will be given if the price increase is the result of increased tariff charges or other governmental actions, or other economic factors. Manufacturer price/contract changes involving the sale of motor vehicles will be considered and may be allowed during the entire contract period subject to submission and verification of the proper documentation required for a contract change as referenced in this section.
Price Changes
Any permanent increase or decrease in offered pricing for a base contract item or published option is considered a price change. Temporary increases in pricing by whatever name (e.g., ‘surcharge’, ‘adjustment’, ‘equalization charge’, ‘compliance charge’, ‘recovery charge’, etc.), are also considered to be price changes.
For published catalogs and price sheets as part of an H-GAC contract, requests to amend the contract to reflect any new published catalog or price sheet must be submitted whenever the manufacturer publishes a new document.
The request must include the new catalog or price sheet. All Products shall, at time of sale, be equipped as required under any then current applicable local, state, and federal government requirements. If, during any contract, changes are made to any government requirements which cause a manufacturer's costs of production to increase, Contractor may increase pricing to the extent of Contractor’s actual cost increase. The increase must be substantiated with support documentation acceptable to H-GAC prior to taking effect. Modifications to a Product required to comply with such requirements which become effective after the date of any sale are the responsibility of the Customer.
Requesting Price Increase/Required Documentation
Contractor must submit a written overview of changes requested and reasons for the request, stating the amount of the increase, along with an itemized list of any increased prices, showing the Contractor’s current price, revised price, the actual dollar difference and the percentage of the price increase by line item. Price change requests must be supported with substantive documentation (e.g., notices from suppliers and manufacturers of pricing changes in products, components, transportation, raw materials or commodities, and/or product availability, copies of invoices from suppliers, etc.) clearly showing that Contractor's actual costs have increased per the applicable line-item bid.
The Producer Price Index (PPI) may be used as partial justification, subject to approval by H-GAC, but no price increase based solely on an increase in the PPI will be allowed. This documentation should be submitted in Excel format to facilitate analysis and updating of the website. The letter and documentation must be sent to Lead Program Coordinator, [email protected].
Review/Approval of Requests
If H-GAC approves the price increase, Contractor will be notified in writing; no price increase will be effective until Contractor receives this notice. If H-GAC does not approve Contractor’s price increase, Contractor may terminate its performance upon sixty (60) days advance written notice to H-GAC, however Contractor must fulfill any outstanding Purchase Orders. Termination of performance is Contractor’s only remedy if H-GAC does not approve the price increase. H-GAC reserves the right to accept or reject any price change request.
ARTICLE 24: DELIVERIES AND SHIPPING TERMS
The Contractor agrees to make deliveries only upon receipt of authorized Customer Purchase Order acknowledged by H-GAC. Delivery made without such Purchase Order will be at Contractor’s risk and will leave H-GAC the option of canceling any contract awarded to the Contractor. The Contractor must secure and deliver any item within five (5) working days, or as agreed to on any corresponding customer Purchase Order.
Shipping must be Freight On Board Destination to the delivery location designated on the Customer purchase order. The Contractor will retain title and control of all goods until delivery is completed and the Customer has accepted the delivery. All risk of transportation and all related charges are the responsibility of the Contractor. The Customer will notify the Contractor and H-GAC promptly of any damaged goods and will assist the Contractor in arranging for inspection. The Contractor must file all claims for visible or concealed damage. Unless otherwise stated in the Master Agreement, deliveries must consist only of new and unused merchandise.
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ARTICLE 25: RESTOCKING (EXCHANGES AND RETURNS)
There will be no restocking charge to the Customer for return or exchange of any item purchased under the terms of any award. If the Customer wishes to return items purchased under an awarded contract, the Contractor agrees to exchange, these items for other items, with no additional charge incurred. Items must be returned to Contractor within thirty (30) days from date of delivery. If there is a difference in price in the items exchanged, the Contractor must notify H-GAC and invoice Customer for increase price or provide the Customer with a credit or refund for any decrease in price per Customer’s preference. On items returned, a credit or cash refund will be issued by the Contractor to Customer. This return and exchange option will extend for thirty (30) days following the expiration of the term of the Contract. All items returned by the Customer must be unused and in the same merchantable condition as when received. Items that are special ordered may be returned only upon approval of the Contractor.
ARTICLE 26: MANUALS
Each product delivered under contract to any Customer must be delivered with at least one (1) copy of a safety and operating manual and any other technical or maintenance manual. The cost of the manual(s) must be included in the price for the Product offered.
ARTICLE 27: OUT OF STOCK, PRODUCT RECALLS, AND DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS H-GAC does NOT purchase the products sold pursuant to a Solicitation or Master Agreement. Contractor is responsible for ensuring that notices and mailings, such as Out of Stock or Discontinued Notices, Safety Alerts, Safety Recall Notices, and customer surveys, are sent directly to the Customer with a copy sent to H-GAC.
Customer will have the option of accepting any equivalent product or canceling the item from Customer’s Purchase Order. Contractor is not authorized to make substitutions without prior approval.
ARTICLE 28: WARRANTIES, SALES, AND SERVICE
Warranties must be the manufacturer's standard and inclusive of any other warranty requirements stated in the Master Agreement; any warranties offered by a dealer will be in addition to the manufacturer’s standard warranty and will not be a substitute for such. Pricing for any product must be inclusive of the standard warranty.
Contractor is responsible for the execution and effectiveness of all product warranty requests and any claims, Contractor agrees to respond directly to correct warranty claims and to ensure reconciliation of warranty claims that have been assigned to a third party.
ARTICLE 29: TERMINATION PROCEDURES
The Contractor acknowledges that this Master Agreement may be terminated for Convenience or Default.
H-GAC will not pay for any expenses incurred after the termination date of the contract.
A. Convenience
H-GAC may terminate this Master Agreement at any time, in whole or in part, with or without cause, whenever H-GAC determines that for any reason such termination is in the best interest of H-GAC, by providing written notice by certified mail to the Contractor. Upon receipt of notice of termination, all services hereunder of the Contractor and its employees and subcontractors shall cease to the extent specified in the notice of termination.
The Contractor may cancel or terminate this Master Agreement upon submission of thirty (30) days written notice, presented to H-GAC via certified mail. The Contractor may not give notice of cancellation after it has received notice of default from H-GAC.
B. Default
H-GAC may, by written notice of default to the Contractor, terminate the whole or any part of the Master Agreement, in any one of the following circumstances:
(1) If the Contractor fails to perform the services herein specified within the time specified herein or any extension thereof; or
(2) If the Contractor fails to perform any of the other provisions of this Master Agreement for any reason whatsoever, or so fails to make progress or otherwise violates the Master Agreements that completion of services herein specified within the Master Agreement term is significantly endangered, and in DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 126 498
either of these two instances does not cure such failure within a period of ten (10) days (or such longer period of time as may be authorized by H-GAC in writing) after receiving written notice by certified mail of default from H-GAC.
(3) In the event of such termination, Contractor will notify H-GAC of any outstanding Purchase Orders and H-GAC will consult with the End User and notify the Contractor to what extent the End User wishes the Contractor to complete the Purchase Order. If Contractor is unable to do so, Contractor may be subject to a claim for damages from H-GAC and/or the End User.
ARTICLE 30: SEVERABILITY
H-GAC and Contractor agree that should any provision of this Master Agreement be determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect any other term of this Master Agreement, which shall continue in full force and effect.
ARTICLE 31: FORCE MAJEURE
To the extent that either party to this Master Agreement shall be wholly or partially prevented from the performance of any obligation or duty placed on such party by reason of or through strikes, stoppage of labor, riot, fire, flood, acts of war, insurrection, accident, order of any court, act of God, or specific cause reasonably beyond the party's control and not attributable to its neglect or nonfeasance, in such event, the time for the performance of such obligation or duty shall be suspended until such disability to perform is removed. Determination of force majeure shall rest solely with H-GAC.
ARTICLE 32: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
No officer, member or employee of the Contractor or Contractors subcontractor, no member of the governing body of the Contractor, and no other public officials of the Contractor who exercise any functions or responsibilities in the review or Contractor approval of this Master Agreement, shall participate in any decision relating to this Master Agreement which affects his or her personal interest, or shall have any personal or pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in this Master Agreement.
A. Conflict of Interest Questionnaire: Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code requires contractors contracting or seeking to contract with H-GAC to file a conflict-of-interest questionnaire (CIQ) if they have an employment or other business relationship with an H-GAC officer or an officer’s close family member.
The required questionnaire and instructions are located on the H-GAC website or at the Texas Ethics Commission website https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/CIQ.pdf. H-GAC officers include its Board of Directors and Executive Director, who are listed on this website. Respondent must complete and file a CIQ with the Texas Ethics Commission if an employment or business relationship with H-GAC office or an officer’s close family member as defined in the law exists.
B. Certificate of Interested Parties Form – Form 1295: As required by Section 2252.908 of the Texas Government Code. H-GAC will not enter a Contract with Contractor unless (i) the Contractor submits a disclosure of interested parties form to H-GAC at the time the Contractor submits the contract H-GAC, or (ii) the Contractor is exempt from such requirement. The required form and instructions are located at the Texas Ethics Commission website https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/whatsnew/elf_info_form1295.htm.
Respondents who are awarded a Contract must submit their Form 1295 with the signed Contract to H-GAC.
ARTICLE 33: FEDERAL COMPLIANCE
Contractor agrees to comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination, labor standards, and environmental compliance. With regards to “Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Master Agreement,” If the Federal award meets the definition of “funding Master Agreement” under 37 CFR § 401.2 (a) and the recipient or subrecipient wishes to enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit organization regarding the substitution of parties, assignment or performance of experimental, developmental, or research work under that “funding Master Agreement,” the recipient or subrecipient must comply with the requirements of 37 CFR Part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Master Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the awarding agency. Contractor agrees to be wholly compliant with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Appendix II.
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of materials or leases of equipment, Contractor shall notify each potential subcontractor or supplier of the Contractor's federal compliance obligations. These may include, but are not limited to: (a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin; (b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1683, and 1685-1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; (c) the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 USC 676 et. seq.), (d) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; (e) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 USC 621 et. seq.) and the Age Discrimination Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 6101-6107), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; (f) the Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92- 255), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse; (g) the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-616), as amended, relating to the nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism; (h) §§ 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C. 290 dd-3 and 290 ee-3), as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records; (i) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental or financing of housing; (j) any other nondiscrimination provisions in any specific statute(s) applicable to any Federal funding for this Master Agreement; (k) the requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to this Master Agreement; (l) applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §7401 et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq.), Section 508 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1368), Executive Order 11738, and the Environmental Protection Agency regulations at 40 CPR Part 15; (m) applicable provisions of the Davis- Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a - 276a7), the Copeland Act (40 U.S.C. 276c), and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327- 332), as set forth in Department of Labor Regulations at 20 CPR 5.5a; (n) the mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are contained in the state energy conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (P.L. 94-163).
ARTICLE 34: PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES USING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT (EFFECTIVE AUG. 13, 2020 AND AS AMENDED OCTOBER 26, 2020)
Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.216, Contractor shall not offer equipment, services, or system that use covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Covered telecommunications equipment or services means 1) telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities); 2) for the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities); 3) telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment; or 4) telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country. Respondent must comply with requirements for certifications. The provision at 48 C.F.R Section 52.204-26 requires that offerors review SAM prior to completing their required representations. This rule applies to all acquisitions, including acquisitions at or below the simplified acquisition threshold and to acquisitions of commercial items, including commercially available off the-shelf items.
ARTICLE 35: DOMESTIC PREFERENCE
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.322, as appropriate and to the extent consistent with law, when using federal grant award funds H-GAC should, to the greatest extent practicable, provide a preference for the purchase, acquisition, or use of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States (including but not limited to iron, aluminum, steel, cement, and other manufactured products). H-GAC must include this requirement in all subawards including all contracts and purchase orders for work or products under the federal grant award. If Contractor intends to qualify for Purchase Orders using federal grant money, then it shall work with H-GAC to provide all required certifications and other documentation needed to show compliance.
ARTICLE 36: CRIMINAL PROVISIONS AND SANCTIONS
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The Contractor agrees to perform the Master Agreement in conformance with safeguards against fraud and abuse as set forth by the H-GAC, the State of Texas, and the acts and regulations of any related state or federal agency.
The Contractor agrees to promptly notify H-GAC of any actual or suspected fraud, abuse, or other criminal activity through the filing of a written report within twenty-four (24) hours of knowledge thereof. Contractor shall notify H-GAC of any accident or incident requiring medical attention arising from its activities under this Master Agreement within twenty-four (24) hours of such occurrence. Theft or willful damage to property on loan to the Contractor from H-GAC, if any, shall be reported to local law enforcement agencies and H-GAC within two (2) hours of discovery of any such act.
The Contractor further agrees to cooperate fully with H-GAC, local law enforcement agencies, the State of Texas, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and any other duly authorized investigative unit, in carrying out a full investigation of all such incidents.
The Contractor shall notify H-GAC of the threat of lawsuit or of any actual suit filed against the Contractor pertaining to this Master Agreement or which would adversely affect the Contractor’s ability to perform services under this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 37: INDEMNIFICATION AND RECOVERY
H-GAC’s liability under this Master Agreement, whether for breach of contract, warranty, negligence, strict liability, in tort or otherwise, is limited to its order processing charge. In no event will H-GAC be liable for any loss of use, loss of time, inconvenience, commercial loss, lost profits, or savings or other incidental, special or consequential damages to the full extent such use may be disclaimed by law. Contractor agrees, to the extent permitted by law, to defend and hold harmless H-GAC, its board members, officers, agents, officials, employees, and indemnities from any and all claims, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorney fees), actions, causes of action, judgements, and liens arising as a result of Contractor’s negligent act or omission under this Master Agreement. Contractor shall notify H-GAC of the threat of lawsuit or of any actual suit filed against Contractor relating to this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 38: LIMITATION OF CONTRACTOR’S LIABILITY
Except as specified in any separate writing between the Contractor and an END USER, Contractor’s total liability under this Master Agreement, whether for breach of contract, warranty, negligence, strict liability, in tort or otherwise, but excluding its obligation to indemnify H-GAC, is limited to the price of the particular products/services sold hereunder, and Contractor agrees either to refund the purchase price or to repair or replace product(s) that are not as warranted. In no event will Contractor be liable for any loss of use, loss of time, inconvenience, commercial loss, loss of profits or savings or other incidental, special or consequential damages to the full extent such use may be disclaimed by law. Contractor understands and agrees that it shall be liable to repay and shall repay upon demand to END USER any amounts determined by H-GAC, its independent auditors, or any agency of State or Federal government to have been paid in violation of the terms of this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 39: TITLES NOT RESTRICTIVE
The titles assigned to the various Articles of this Master Agreement are for convenience only. Titles shall not be considered restrictive of the subject matter of any Article, or part of this Master Agreement.
ARTICLE 40: JOINT WORK PRODUCT
This Master Agreement is the joint work product of H-GAC and the Contractor. This Master Agreement has been negotiated by H-GAC and the Contractor and their respective counsel and shall be fairly interpreted in accordance with its terms and, in the event of any ambiguities, no inferences shall be drawn against any party.
ARTICLE 41: PROCUREMENT OF RECOVERED MATERIAL
H-GAC and the Respondent must comply with section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include: (1) procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; (2) procuring solid waste management services in a manner that DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 129 501
maximizes energy and resource recovery; and (3) establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines. Pursuant to the Federal Rule above, as required by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. § 6962(c)(3)(A)(i)), Respondent certifies that the percentage of recovered materials content for EPA-designated items to be delivered or used in the performance of the Contract will be at least the amount required by the applicable contract specifications or other contractual requirements.
ARTICLE 42: COPELAND “ANTI-KICKBACK” ACT
Contractor shall comply with 18 U.S.C. § 874, 40 U.S.C. § 3145, and the requirements of 29 C.F.R. pt. 3 as may be applicable, which are incorporated by reference into the contract. The contractor or subcontractor shall insert in any subcontracts the clause above and such other clauses as appropriate agency instructions require, and also a clause requiring the subcontractors to include these clauses in any lower tier subcontracts. The prime contractor shall be responsible for the compliance by any subcontractor or lower tier subcontractor with all of these contract clauses. A breach of the contract clauses above may be grounds for termination of the Contract, and for debarment as a contractor and subcontractor as provided in 29 C.F.R. § 5.12.
ARTICLE 43: DISCRIMINATION
Respondent and any potential subcontractors shall comply with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination.
These include, but are not limited to:
a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin;
b) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§1681-1683, and 1685-1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex;
c) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. §794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps;
d) The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§6101- 6107), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age;
e) The Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-255), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of drug abuse;
f) The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-616), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of alcohol abuse or alcoholism;
g) Sections 523 and 527 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C. §§290 dd-3 and 290 ee-3), as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records; h) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§3601 et seq.), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of housing; i) Any other nondiscrimination provisions in the specific statute(s) under which application for Federal assistance is being made; and
j) The requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) that may apply to the application.
ARTICLE 44: DRUG FREE WORKPLACE
Contractor must provide a drug-free workplace in accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act, as applicable.
For the purposes of this Section, “drug-free” means a worksite at which employees are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance. H-GAC may request a copy of this policy.
ARTICLE 45: APPLICABILITY TO SUBCONTRACTORS
Respondent agrees that all contracts it awards pursuant to the contract awarded as a result of this Master Agreement will be bound by the foregoing terms and conditions.
ARTICLE 46: WARRANTY AND COPYRIGHT
Submissions must include all warranty information, including items covered, items excluded, duration, and renewability. Submissions must include proof of licensing if using third party code for programming.
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ARTICLE 47: DATA HANDLING AND SECURITY
It will always be the responsibility of the selected Contractor to manage data transfer and to secure all data appropriately during the project to prevent unauthorized access to all data, products, and deliverables.
ARTICLE 48: DISPUTES
All disputes concerning questions of fact or of law arising under this Master Agreement, which are not addressed within the Whole Master Agreement as defined pursuant to Article 4 hereof, shall be decided by the Executive Director of H-GAC or his designee, who shall reduce his decision to writing and provide notice thereof to the Contractor. The decision of the Executive Director or his designee shall be final and conclusive unless, within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of such notice, the Contractor requests a rehearing from the Executive Director of H-GAC. In connection with any rehearing under this Article, the Contractor shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard and offer evidence in support of its position. The decision of the Executive Director after any such rehearing shall be final and conclusive. The Contractor may, if it elects to do so, appeal the final and conclusive decision of the Executive Director to a court of competent jurisdiction. Pending final decision of a dispute hereunder, the Contractor shall proceed diligently with the performance of the Master Agreement and in accordance with H-GAC's final decision.
ARTICLE 49: CHOICE OF LAW: VENUE
This Master Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas. Venue and jurisdiction of any suit or cause of action arising under or in connection with the Master Agreement shall lie exclusively in Harris County, Texas. Disputes between END USER and Contractor are to be resolved in accordance with the law and venue rules of the state of purchase. Contractor shall immediately notify H-GAC of such disputes.
ARTICLE 50: ORDER OF PRIORITY
In the case of any conflict between or within this Master Agreement, the following order of priority shall be utilized: 1) General Provisions, 2) Special Provisions, 3) Scope of Work, and 4) Other Attachments.
ARTICLE 51: WHOLE MASTER AGREEMENT
Please note, this is an H-GAC Master Agreement template and is used for all products and services offered in H-GAC Cooperative Purchasing. Any redlines to this Master Agreement may not be reviewed. If this Master Agreement has not been signed by the Contractor within 30 calendar days, this Master Agreement will be automatically voided. The Master General Provisions, Master Special Provisions, and Attachments, as provided herein, constitute the complete Master Agreement between the parties hereto, and supersede any and all oral and written Master Agreements between the parties relating to matters herein. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Master Agreement cannot be modified without written consent of the parties.
ARTICLE 52: UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) In accordance with 2 CFR Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter I, Part 25 as it applies to a Federal awarding agency's grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and other types of Federal financial assistance as defined in 2 CFR 25.406.
Contractor understands and as it relates to 2 CFR 25.205(a), a Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award or financial modification to an existing Federal award to an applicant or recipient until the entity has complied with the requirements described in 2 CFR 25.200 to provide a valid unique entity identifier and maintain an active SAM registration (www.SAM.gov) with current information (other than any requirement that is not applicable because the entity is exempted under § 25.110). 2 CFR 25.200(b) requires that registration in the SAM prior to submitting an application or plan; and maintain an active SAM registration with current information, including information on a recipient's immediate and highest level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all predecessors that have been awarded a Federal contract or grant within the last three years, if applicable, at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency; and provide its unique entity identifier in each application or plan it submits to the Federal awarding agency. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update its information in the SAM database on an annual basis from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. At the time a Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, if the intended recipient has not complied with an applicable requirement to provide a unique entity identifier or maintain an active SAM registration with current information, the Federal awarding DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 131 503
agency: (1) May determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award; and (2) May use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.
ARTICLE 53: PROCUREMENT OF RECOVERED MATERIALS
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.323, the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Contractor or Subrecipient must comply with section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include: (1) procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; (2) procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and (3) establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines. Pursuant to the Federal Rule above, as required by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. § 6962(c)(3)(A)(i)), the Contractor or Subrecipient certifies that the percentage of recovered materials content for EPA-designated items to be delivered or used in the performance of the Agreement will be at least the amount required by the applicable contract specifications or other contractual requirements.
SIGNATURES:
H-GAC and the Contractor have read, agreed, and executed the whole Master Agreement as of the date first written above, as accepted by:
Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc.
Signature $docusign:SignHere::Customer1
Name Ryan Wright
Title President
Date $docusign:DateSigned::Customer1
H-GAC
Signature $docusign:SignHere::InternalSigner
Name Chuck Wemple
Title Executive Director
Date $docusign:DateSigned::InternalSigner
DocuSign Envelope ID: 049A0F79-D181-4690-98AF-6542CBAB8495 12/11/2023 12/12/2023
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