A contractor not registered with the director cannot be awarded a state or state-agency contract. The section also governs a surety bond, notice, hearings, forfeiture, and possible bond increases.
1. A contractor who is not registered with the director as required by this chapter shall not be awarded a contract to perform work for the state or an agency of the state. 2. A surety bond filed pursuant to section 91C.2 shall be executed by a surety company authorized to do business in this state, and the bond shall be continuous in nature until canceled by the surety with not less than thirty days’ written notice to the contractor and to the department indicating the surety’s desire to cancel the bond. The surety company shall not be liable under the bond for any contract commenced after the cancellation of the bond. The department may increase the bond amount after a hearing. 3. Release of the bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all taxes, including contributions due under the unemployment compensation insurance system, penalties, interest, and related fees, which may accrue to the state of Iowa. If at any time during the term of the bond, the department of revenue or the department determines that the amount of the bond is not sufficient to cover the tax liabilities accruing to the state of Iowa, the director shall require the bond to be increased by an amount the director deems sufficient to cover the tax liabilities accrued and accruing. 4. The department of revenue and the department shall adopt rules for the collection of the forfeiture. Notice shall be provided to the surety and to the contractor. Notice to the contractor shall be mailed to the contractor’s last known address and to the contractor’s registered agent for service of process, if any, within the state. The contractor or surety shall have the opportunity to apply to the director of revenue for a hearing within thirty days after the giving of such notice. Upon the failure to timely request a hearing, the bond shall be forfeited. If, after the hearing upon timely request, the department of revenue or the department finds that the contractor has failed to pay the total of all taxes payable, the department of revenue or the department shall order the bond forfeited. The amount of the forfeiture shall be the amount of taxes payable or the amount of the bond, whichever is less. For purposes of this section“taxes payable” means all tax, penalties, interest, and fees that the department of revenue has previously determined to be due to the state by assessment or in an appeal of an assessment, including contributions to the unemployment compensation insurance system. 5. If it is determined that this section may cause denial of federal funds which would otherwise be available, or is otherwise inconsistent with requirements of federal law, this section shall be suspended, but only to the extent necessary to prevent denial of the funds or to eliminate the inconsistency with federal requirements. 6. The bond required by this section may be attached by the director for collection of fees and penalties due to the department. 88 Acts, ch 1162, §8; 89 Acts, ch 254, §1; 91 Acts, ch 136, §5; 96 Acts, ch 1186, §23; 97 Acts, ch 26, §2; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §204; 2010 Acts, ch 1188, §28; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1840; 2024 Acts, ch 1043, §41 Referred to in §91C.2