Louisiana § RS 39:1753.1 - Procurement of telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services by state agencies and certain educational entities

§ RS 39:1753.1. Procurement of telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services by state agencies and certain educational entities

            A. Definitions. For the purposes of this Section, the words defined in this Subsection shall have the meanings set forth below:

            (1) "Agency" means any department, office, division, commission, council, board, bureau, committee, institution, agency, government corporation, or other establishment or official of the executive branch of state government or any parish, city, town, governmental body, and any other subdivision of the state or public agency thereof, public authority, public educational, health, or other institution, and to the extent provided by law, any other entity which expends public funds for the acquisition or leasing of supplies, services, major repairs, and construction.

            (2) "Certain educational entities" means all public elementary, secondary, or postsecondary education schools, institutions, and governing authorities; nonpublic elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools, institutions, and governing authorities that receive state funds; and proprietary schools that receive state funds.

            (3) "Procure" and "procurement" shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S. 39:1556.

            (4) "Prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services" includes all of the following:

            (a) Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation, or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities, as described in Section 889(f)(3)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

            (b) Video surveillance equipment or telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, Dahua Technology Company, or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities, as described in Section 889(f)(3)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

            (c) Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity found to be owned, controlled, or otherwise connected to the government of the People's Republic of China, as described in Section 889(f)(3)(D) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

            (d) Any product or equipment, regardless of manufacturer, containing as a component any equipment identified by Subparagraphs (a) through (c) of this Paragraph. This may include but is not limited to the following:

            (i) Computers or other equipment containing a component which enables any form of network connectivity or telecommunications regardless of whether the equipment is regularly connected to a network.

            (ii) Building automation, environmental controls, access controls, or facility management and monitoring systems.

            (e) Voting machines, peripherals, and election systems that are a product, or a component thereof, that is identified as being produced by those entities listed in Subparagraphs (a) through (c) of this Paragraph, shall be prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment pursuant to this Section.

            (f) Any services provided using any equipment identified by Subparagraphs (a) through (e) of this Paragraph.

            B. Agencies and certain educational entities of the state, as defined in Subsection A of this Section, shall not procure prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services as defined in Subsection A of this Section.

            C. Prior to the procurement of telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services, the vendor shall provide documentation by affidavit that the equipment or services to be procured are not prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services as defined in Subsection A of this Section.

            D. No procurement shall be made from a vendor or other entity who fails to provide the documentation required in Subsection C of this Section. Any procurement of prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services as defined in Subsection A of this Section, or other procurement in violation of this Section, shall be void.

            E. Any vendor or other entity who provides the documentation required in Subsection C of this Section found to supply telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services as defined to the procuring agency, certain educational entity, or their service provider that were prohibited at the time of procurement shall, at its own expense, replace the prohibited telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services with nonprohibited equipment or services of at least equal quality and performance. Compliance with this Section by a procuring agency and certain educational entities is subject to audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

            Added by Acts 2020, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 52, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, No. 288, §2; Acts 2022, No. 695, §2.