Metlife Response (stacked).pdf

State of Nebraska 120084 O5 MetLife - STD LTD RFP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Letter File 2 of 22

Signed Contractual Agreement Form File 3 of 22

Terms and Conditions (II) File 4 of 22

Vendor Duties (III) File 5 of 22

Payment (IV) File 6 of 22

Project Description and Scope of Work (V) File 7 of 22

Attachment A – Vendor Requirements Matrix (V.C) File 8 of 22

Corporate Overview (VI.1) File 9 of 22

Technical Response (VI.2) File 10 of 22

Cost Proposal File 11 of 22 MetLife Disability Proposal Assumptions & Caveats File 12 of 22 MetLife Disability Plan Deviations File 13 of 22 MetLife IPCN File 14 of 22 MetLife Privacy Notice File 15 of 22

Exhibits Exhibit 1 - MetLife Clarifications and Deviations File 16 of 22 Exhibit 2 - Nebraska Certificate of Compliance File 17 of 22 Exhibit 3 - Sample Enrollment Kit File 18 of 22 Exhibit 4 - Enrollment and Communications Plan File 19 of 22 Exhibit 5 - Implementation Timeline File 20 of 22 Exhibit 6 - Performance Guarantees File 21 of 22 Exhibit 7 - 2023 MetLife Annual Report File 22 of 22

Additional Documents Critical Illness Insurance Attained Age Proposal Group Accident Insurance Proposal Group Hospital Insurance Proposal

PROPRIETARY & CONFIDENTIAL

State of Nebraska Short and Long Term Disability Benefits Executive Summary

Dear State of Nebraska State Purchasing Bureau, Department of Administrative Services, and other committee members, Thank you for the opportunity to present a proposal for your Short and Long Term Disability Benefits Programs! We are excited to share competitive proposals that will enhance the employee experience, provide robust support for the HR and Benefits team, and create a strong partnership between our organizations.

Our focus and commitment to state employee benefit plans remains unparalleled in the insurance industry and we hope you will find our proposal exceeds your expectations on cost, product portfolio and administration.

Our proposal includes Upwise Benefits Engagement Platform to help employees understand their benefits options, make decisions to best support their individual needs, and use benefits when they need them. All costs of enrolling and administering the entire program are included in our proposed rates.

MetLife Proposal Advantages for the State of Nebraska:

- Significant Employee Savings o Savings for employees on both short term and long-term disability. By lowering the rates to an appropriate risk level, we anticipate driving even more participation on the plan with STD rates being 1/3 of current costs.

- Allows more employees access to needed coverage o The current STD plan requires both evidence of insurability to enroll, as well as a 3/12 pre-ex on the plan.

o We agree to allow a true open enrollment so employees can come onto the plan with no restrictions at the next open enrollment.

o We will agree to remove the pre-ex from the plan after the effective date.

o This one-time true open enrollment provides a unique opportunity for employees to enroll with no statement of health. Those who may run out of vacation or sick leave in their accumulated bank may have enough days to last for several weeks but allowing late enrollees onto the plan provides the peace of mind that after their other days are exhausted, they can still have paycheck protection.

- Commitment to Outstanding Service Delivery o MetLife is offering performance guarantees worth 2% of the overall premium at risk to demonstrate our commitment to excellence for employees and HR o Demonstrating our commitment to implementation and ongoing service by place .25% at risk each year

- Communications support o The designated Communications Specialist will work with the State and any partners to provide a recommended strategy for educating employees on their benefits, coverage changes, and how to get the most value from their plans

- Strategic Partnership with MetLife National Accounts o We are honored by the opportunity to provide an experienced Senior Account Team assigned to the State of Nebraska, all based locally in the Midwest

- MetLife Strategic Partner of Workday o The Workday Wellness program reduces complexity by enabling streamlined data integrations. It will enable the exchange of data in real time via a set of APIs including Leave, SOH, Plan Design and Enrollment/Eligibility as well as the opportunity for new APIs such as enrollment validation and Billing.

o By partnering with Workday as a Wellness partner, we are making it easier for employees to engage with a full suite of benefits and wellness offerings, all from within the Workday system.

- One MetLife o Employees have one number to call for Disability or any future voluntary benefits o There is one portal for submitting claims and viewing claims information for both employees and HR o Benefits are connected so a Disability claim could proactively trigger a proactive payment for a Hospital Indemnity, Accident, or Critical Illness claim, further maximizing the value of the benefits for employees o Please note that if MetLife's Voluntary Benefit package is bundled with the STD and LTD, the STD and LTD rates can be reduced by -2%. The Voluntary Benefit package includes Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Group Accident coverage.

MetLife Public Sector Expertise:

o MetLife serves over 3,300 public sector employers and two-thirds of state governments across the country.

o MetLife National Account manages the largest life contract in the world with Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) since 1954. The contract The FEGLI program covers 4.2M lives.

o Our public sector customers for Life and/or Disability include State of Illinois, State of Minnesota, State of Michigan, State of Georgia, South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority, Washington State Health Care Authority and Public Employees Benefits Board, State of New York, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State of South Dakota, State of Tennessee, State of New Hampshire, State of Alaska, State of West Virginia and Puerto Rico.

Our focus and commitment to state employee benefit plans remains unparalleled in the insurance industry.

MetLife Disability Advantages:

- Employes will benefit from simple and supported STD and LTD experience. Most STD claims are auto adjudicated leading to approval decision on the intake call. If the State would like to amend the policy after the effective date to remove the pre-ex, even more claims will be auto-adjudicated and receive same day, same call decisions.

- Our team of resources like behavioral health coaches and vocational nurses are engaged at the right time to provide best return to health and return to work outcomes.

- State of NE will benefit from an HR resource to support all claim questions. Your Disability

Advocate is available to respond quickly to claim inquiries. State of NE HR will also have the ability through our employer portal, MetLink, to engage in chat directly with the Disability Advocate. The chat functions works similar to teams messaging with average response times under one minute.

MetLife Broad Suite of Voluntary benefits:

- For the State’s consideration we have included proposals and summaries for Accident and Health Insurance. We have included summaries of these products and highlights of the plan features.

- Unique to MetLife: Upwise Benefits Engagement Platform that provides personalized decision support and yearlong engagement based on a member’s personal health, financial, lifestyle and risk-tolerance factors. This A.I.-powered, user-friendly experience delivers an individual recommendation for each member, and helps members get the most value out of their benefits throughout the year by triggering personalized “nudges” when an elected benefit or point solution that the State offers across your entire benefits offering may be applicable. The value of this feature included with the MetLife offering is approximately $1.50 per member per month, provided at no charge.

- Savi: Through our Nayya Benefits Engagement Platform, we will make available to the State our partnership with Savi, an application that leverages data to help those with student debt find the best government student loan repayment program, including facilitating the application for programs such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and other IDR programs. As a public entity, all of your members with student debt are eligible for many of these programs and Savi can provide substantial value in helping them with a recommendation and application for these programs. Savi users save an average of $150 per month on their monthly payments and have either received or are on track for $20,500 in loan forgiveness.

We look forward to more in-depth conversations about your benefits program and hope to earn the opportunity for a finalist meeting. My role as your Senior Account Executive is to ensure everything MetLife does exceeds your expectations. Your Account Team is with you from this time of quote, through implementation, and during the life of the program. Our job is to work every day to build custom solutions for you. It would be my honor and pleasure to work with The State of Nebraska, and I appreciate your consideration.

Sincerely, Leah McCrady Senior Account Executive, MetLife National Accounts Lmccrady@metlife.com/ cell: 281-450-0088

120084 O5 MetLife

©2024 MetLife Services and Solutions, LLC

II. Terms and Conditions

Bidder should read the Terms and Conditions within this section and must initial either “Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” or “Exceptions Taken to Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” in the table below. If the bidder takes any exceptions, they must provide the following within the “Exceptions” field of the table below (Bidder may provide responses in separate attachment if multiple exceptions are taken):

1. The specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken;

2. An explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause; and

3. Provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.

By signing the solicitation, bidder agrees to be legally bound by all the accepted terms and conditions, and any proposed alternative terms and conditions submitted with the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to negotiate rejected or proposed alternative language. If the State and bidder fail to agree on the final Terms and Conditions, the State reserves the right to reject the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to reject solicitation responses that attempt to substitute the bidder’s commercial contracts and/or documents for this solicitation.

Accept All Terms and Conditions

Within Section as

Written (Initial)

Exceptions Taken to

Terms and Conditions

Within Section as

Written (Initial)

Exceptions:

(Bidder must note the specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken, an explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause, and provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.)

X

Please see Exhibit 1 - MetLife Clarifications and Deviations provided with our proposal response for exceptions.

The bidders should submit with their solicitation response any license, user agreement, service level agreement, or similar documents that the bidder wants incorporated in the Contract. The State will not consider incorporation of any document not submitted with the solicitation response as the document will not have been included in the evaluation process. These documents shall be subject to negotiation and will be incorporated as addendums if agreed to by the Parties.

If a conflict or ambiguity arises after the Addendum to Contract Award has been negotiated and agreed to, the Addendum to Contract Award shall be interpreted as follows:

1. If only one (1) Party has a particular clause, then that clause shall control,

2. If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses do not conflict, the clauses shall be read together,

3. If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses conflict, the State’s clause shall control.

A. GENERAL

1. The contract resulting from this Solicitation shall incorporate the following documents:

a. Solicitation, including any attachments and addenda;

b. Questions and Answers;

c. Bidder’s properly submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements submitted by the bidder;

d. Addendum to Contract Award (if applicable);and

e. Amendments to the Contract. (if applicable)

These documents constitute the entirety of the contract.

Unless otherwise specifically stated in a future contract amendment, in case of any conflict between the incorporated documents, the documents shall govern in the following order of preference with number one (1) receiving preference over all other documents and with each lower numbered document having preference over any higher numbered document: 1) Amendment to the executed Contract with the most recent dated amendment having the highest priority, 2) Executed Contract and any attached Addenda

3) Addendums to the solicitation and any Questions and Answers, 4) the original solicitation document and any Addenda or attachments, and 5) the Vendor’s submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements that are accepted by the State.

Unless otherwise specifically agreed to in writing by the State, the State’s standard terms and conditions, as executed by the State, shall always control over any terms and conditions or agreements submitted or included by the Vendor.

Any ambiguity or conflict in the contract discovered after its execution, not otherwise addressed herein, shall be resolved in accordance with the rules of contract interpretation as established in the State of Nebraska.

B. NOTIFICATION

Bidder and State shall identify the contract manager who shall serve as the point of contact for the executed contract.

Communications regarding the executed contract shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given if delivered personally; electronically, return receipt requested; or mailed, return receipt requested. All notices, requests, or communications shall be deemed effective upon receipt.

Either party may change its address for notification purposes by giving notice of the change and setting forth the new address and an effective date.

C. BUYER’S REPRESENTATIVE

The State reserves the right to appoint a Buyer's Representative to manage or assist the Buyer in managing the contract on behalf of the State. The Buyer's Representative will be appointed in writing, and the appointment document will specify the extent of the Buyer's Representative authority and responsibilities. If a Buyer's Representative is appointed, the bidder will be provided a copy of the appointment document and is expected to cooperate accordingly with the Buyer's Representative. The Buyer's Representative has no authority to bind the State to a contract, amendment, addendum, or other change or addition to the contract.

D. GOVERNING LAW (Nonnegotiable)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract, or any amendment or addendum(s) entered into contemporaneously or at a later time, the parties understand and agree that,

(1) the State of Nebraska is a sovereign state and its authority to contract is therefore subject to limitation by the State’s Constitution, statutes, common law, and regulation;

(2) this contract will be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the State of Nebraska;

(3) any action to enforce the provisions of this agreement must be brought in the State of Nebraska per state law; (4) the person signing this contract on behalf of the State of Nebraska does not have the authority to waive the State's sovereign immunity, statutes, common law, or regulations; (5) the indemnity, limitation of liability, remedy, and other similar provisions of the final contract, if any, are entered into subject to the State's Constitution, statutes, common law, regulations, and sovereign immunity; and, (6) all terms and conditions of the final contract, including but not limited to the clauses concerning third party use, licenses, warranties, limitations of liability, governing law and venue, usage verification, indemnity, liability, remedy or other similar provisions of the final contract are entered into specifically subject to the State's Constitution, statutes, common law, regulations, and sovereign immunity.

The Parties must comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, ordinances, rules, orders, and regulations.

E. BEGINNING OF WORK & SUSPENSION OF SERVICES

The bidder shall not commence any billable work until a valid contract has been fully executed by the State and the successful Vendor. The Vendor will be notified in writing when work may begin.

The State may, at any time and without advance notice, require the Vendor to suspend any or all performance or deliverables provided under this Contract. In the event of such suspension, the Contract Manager or POC, or their designee, will issue a written order to stop work. The written order will specify which activities are to be immediately suspended and the reason(s) for the suspension. Upon receipt of such order, the Vendor shall immediately comply with its terms and take all necessary steps to mitigate and eliminate the incurrence of costs allocable to the work affected by the order during the period of suspension. The suspended performance or deliverables may only resume when the State provides the Vendor with written notice that such performance or deliverables may resume, in whole or in part.

F. AMENDMENT

This Contract may be amended in writing, within scope, upon the agreement of both parties.

G. CHANGE ORDERS OR SUBSTITUTIONS

The State and the Vendor, upon the written agreement, may make changes to the contract within the general scope of the solicitation. Changes may involve specifications, the quantity of work, or such other items as the State may find necessary or desirable.

Corrections of any deliverable, service, or work required pursuant to the contract shall not be deemed a change. The Vendor may not claim forfeiture of the contract by reasons of such changes.

The Vendor shall prepare a written description of the work required due to the change and an itemized cost sheet for the change. Changes in work and the amount of compensation to be paid to the Vendor shall be determined in accordance with applicable unit prices if any, a pro-rated value, or through negotiations. The State shall not incur a price increase for changes that should have been included in the Vendor’s solicitation response, were foreseeable, or result from difficulties with or failure of the Vendor’s solicitation response or performance.

No change shall be implemented by the Vendor until approved by the State, and the Contract is amended to reflect the change and associated costs, if any. If there is a dispute regarding the cost, but both parties agree that immediate implementation is necessary, the change may be implemented, and cost negotiations may continue with both Parties retaining all remedies under the contract and law.

In the event any good or service is discontinued or replaced upon mutual consent during the contract period or prior to delivery, the State reserves the right to amend the contract to include the alternate product at the same price.

***Vendor will not substitute any item that has been awarded without prior written approval of SPB***

H. RECORD OF VENDOR PERFORMANCE

The State may document the vendor’s performance, which may include, but is not limited to, the customer service provided by the vendor, the ability of the vendor, the skill of the vendor, and any instance(s) of products or services delivered or performed which fail to meet the terms of the purchase order, contract, and/or specifications. In addition to other remedies and options available to the State, the State may issue one or more notices to the vendor outlining any issues the State has regarding the vendor’s performance for a specific contract (“Contract Compliance Request”). The State may also document the Vendor’s performance in a report, which may or may not be provided to the vendor (“Contract Non-Compliance Notice”). The Vendor shall respond to any Contract Compliance Request or Contract Non-Compliance Notice in accordance with such notice or request. At the sole discretion of the State, such Contract Compliance Requests and Contract Non-Compliance Notices may be placed in the State’s records regarding the vendor and may be considered by the State and held against the vendor in any future contract or award opportunity. The record of vendor performance will be considered in any suspension or debarment action.

I. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL VENDOR BREACH

If Vendor breaches the contract or anticipates breaching the contract, the Vendor shall immediately give written notice to the State. The notice shall explain the breach or potential breach, a proposed cure, and may include a request for a waiver of the breach if so desired. The State may, in its discretion, temporarily or permanently waive the breach.

By granting a waiver, the State does not forfeit any rights or remedies to which the State is entitled by law or equity, or pursuant to the provisions of the contract. Failure to give immediate notice, however, may be grounds for denial of any request for a waiver of a breach.

J. BREACH

Either Party may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, if the other Party breaches its duty to perform its obligations under the contract in a timely and proper manner.

Termination requires written notice of default and a thirty (30) calendar day (or longer at the non-breaching Party’s discretion considering the gravity and nature of the default) cure period. Said notice shall be delivered by email, delivery receipt requested; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in person with proof of delivery. Allowing time to cure a failure or breach of contract does not waive the right to immediately terminate the contract for the same or different contract breach which may occur at a different time.

The State’s failure to make payment shall not be a breach, and the Vendor shall retain all available statutory remedies. (See Indemnity - Self-Insurance and Payment)

K. NON-WAIVER OF BREACH

The acceptance of late performance with or without objection or reservation by a Party shall not waive any rights of the Party nor constitute a waiver of the requirement of timely performance of any obligations remaining to be performed.

L. SEVERABILITY

If any term or condition of the contract is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or in conflict with any law, the validity of the remaining terms and conditions shall not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the contract did not contain the provision held to be invalid or illegal.

M. INDEMNIFICATION

1. GENERAL

The Vendor agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the State and its employees, volunteers, agents, and its elected and appointed officials (“the indemnified parties”) from and against any and all third party claims, liens, demands, damages, liability, actions, causes of action, losses, judgments, costs, and expenses of every nature, including investigation costs and expenses, settlement costs, and attorney fees and expenses (“the claims”), sustained or asserted against the State for personal injury, death, or property loss or damage, arising out of, resulting from, or attributable to the willful misconduct, negligence, error, or omission of the Vendor, its employees, Subcontractors, consultants, representatives, and agents, resulting from this contract, except to the extent such Vendor liability is attenuated by any action of the State which directly and proximately contributed to the claims.

2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Vendor agrees it will, at its sole cost and expense, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the indemnified parties from and against any and all claims, to the extent such claims arise out of, result from, or are attributable to, the actual or alleged infringement or misappropriation of any patent, copyright, trade secret, trademark, or confidential information of any third party by the Vendor or its employees, Subcontractors, consultants, representatives, and agents; provided, however, the State gives the Vendor prompt notice in writing of the claim. The Vendor may not settle any infringement claim that will affect the State’s use of the Licensed Software without the State’s prior written consent, which consent may be withheld for any reason.

If a judgment or settlement is obtained or reasonably anticipated against the State’s use of any intellectual property for which the Vendor has indemnified the State, the Vendor shall, at the Vendor’s sole cost and expense, promptly modify the item or items which were determined to be infringing, acquire a license or licenses on the State’s behalf to provide the necessary rights to the State to eliminate the infringement, or provide the State with a non-infringing substitute that provides the State the same functionality. At the State’s election, the actual or anticipated judgment may be treated as a breach of warranty by the Vendor, and the State may receive the remedies provided under this Solicitation.

3. PERSONNEL

The Vendor shall, at its expense, indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified parties from and against any claim with respect to withholding taxes, worker’s compensation, employee benefits, or any other claim, demand, liability, damage, or loss of any nature relating to any of the personnel, including subcontractor’s and their employees, provided by the Vendor.

4. SELF-INSURANCE

The State of Nebraska is self-insured for any loss and purchases excess insurance coverage pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,239.01. If there is a presumed loss under the provisions of this agreement, Vendor may file a claim with the Office of Risk Management pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-8,239.01 to 81-8,306 for review by the State Claims Board. The State retains all rights and immunities under the State

Miscellaneous (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,294), Tort (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,209), and Contract Claim Acts (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,302), as outlined in state law and accepts liability under this agreement only to the extent provided by law.

5. The Parties acknowledge that Attorney General for the State of Nebraska is required by statute to represent the legal interests of the State, and that any provision of this indemnity clause is subject to the statutory authority of the Attorney General.

N. ATTORNEY'S FEES

In the event of any litigation, appeal, or other legal action to enforce any provision of the contract, the Parties agree to pay all expenses of such action, as permitted by law and if ordered by the court, including attorney's fees and costs, if the other Party prevails.

O. ASSIGNMENT, SALE, OR MERGER

Either Party may assign the contract upon mutual written agreement of the other Party.

Such agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.

The Vendor retains the right to enter into a sale, merger, acquisition, internal reorganization, or similar transaction involving Vendor’s business. Vendor agrees to cooperate with the State in executing amendments to the contract to allow for the transaction. If a third party or entity is involved in the transaction, the Vendor will remain responsible for performance of the contract until such time as the person or entity involved in the transaction agrees in writing to be contractually bound by this contract and perform all obligations of the contract.

P. CONTRACTING WITH OTHER NEBRASKA POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF

THE STATE OR ANOTHER STATE

The Vendor may, but shall not be required to, allow agencies, as defined in Neb. Rev.

Stat. § 81-145(2), to use this contract. The terms and conditions, including price, of the contract may not be amended. The State shall not be contractually obligated or liable for any contract entered into pursuant to this clause. A listing of Nebraska political subdivisions may be found at the website of the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts.

The Vendor may, but shall not be required to, allow other states, agencies or divisions of other states, or political subdivisions of other states to use this contract. The terms and conditions, including price, of this contract shall apply to any such contract, but may be amended upon mutual consent of the Parties. The State of Nebraska shall not be contractually or otherwise obligated or liable under any contract entered into pursuant to this clause. The State shall be notified if a contract is executed based upon this contract.

Q. FORCE MAJEURE

Neither Party shall be liable for any costs or damages, or for default resulting from its inability to perform any of its obligations under the contract due to a natural or manmade event outside the control and not the fault of the affected Party (“Force Majeure Event”) that was not foreseeable at the time the Contract was executed. The Party so affected shall immediately make a written request for relief to the other Party and shall have the burden of proof to justify the request. The other Party may grant the relief requested;

relief may not be unreasonably withheld. Labor disputes with the impacted Party’s own employees will not be considered a Force Majeure Event.

R. CONFIDENTIALITY

All materials and information provided by the Parties or acquired by a Party on behalf of the other Party shall be regarded as confidential information. All materials and information provided or acquired shall be handled in accordance with federal and state law, and ethical standards. Should said confidentiality be breached by a Party, the Party shall notify the other Party immediately of said breach and take immediate corrective action.

It is incumbent upon the Parties to inform their officers and employees of the penalties for improper disclosure imposed by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. Specifically, 5 U.S.C. 552a (i)(1), which is made applicable by 5 U.S.C. 552a (m)(1), provides that any officer or employee, who by virtue of his/her employment or official position has possession of or access to agency records which contain individually identifiable information, the disclosure of which is prohibited by the Privacy Act or regulations established thereunder, and who knowing that disclosure of the specific material is prohibited, willfully discloses the material in any manner to any person or agency not entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000.

S. EARLY TERMINATION

The contract may be terminated as follows:

1. The State and the Vendor, by mutual written agreement, may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, at any time.

2. The State, in its sole discretion, may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, for any reason upon thirty (30) calendar day’s written notice shall be delivered by email, delivery receipt requested; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in person with proof of delivery to the Vendor. Such termination shall not relieve the Vendor of warranty or other service obligations incurred under the terms of the contract. In the event of termination, the Vendor shall be entitled to payment, determined on a pro rata basis, for products or services satisfactorily performed or provided.

3. The State may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, immediately for the following reasons:

a. if directed to do so by statute,

b. Vendor has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors, has admitted in writing its inability to pay debts as they mature, or has ceased operating in the normal course of business,

c. a trustee or receiver of the Vendor or of any substantial part of the Vendor’s assets has been appointed by a court,

d. fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, malfeasance, misfeasance, or illegal conduct pertaining to performance under the contract by its Vendor, its employees, officers, directors, or shareholders,

e. an involuntary proceeding has been commenced by any Party against the Vendor under any one of the chapters of Title 11 of the United States Code and (i) the proceeding has been pending for at least sixty (60) calendar days; or (ii) the Vendor has consented, either expressly or by operation of law, to the entry of an order for relief; or (iii) the Vendor has been decreed or adjudged a debtor,

f. a voluntary petition has been filed by the Vendor under any of the chapters of Title 11 of the United States Code,

g. Vendor intentionally discloses confidential information,

h. Vendor has or announces it will discontinue support of the deliverable; and,

i. In the event funding is no longer available.

T. CONTRACT CLOSEOUT

Upon termination of the contract for any reason the Vendor shall within thirty (30) days, unless stated otherwise herein:

1. Transfer all completed or partially completed deliverables to the State,

2. Transfer ownership and title to all completed or partially completed deliverables to the State,

3. Return to the State all information and data unless the Vendor is permitted to keep the information or data by contract or rule of law. Vendor may retain one copy of any information or data as required to comply with applicable work product documentation standards or as are automatically retained in the course of Vendor’s routine back up procedures,

4. Cooperate with any successor Contactor, person, or entity in the assumption of any or all of the obligations of this contract,

5. Cooperate with any successor Contactor, person, or entity with the transfer of information or data related to this contract,

6. Return or vacate any state owned real or personal property; and,

7. Return all data in a mutually acceptable format and manner.

Nothing in this section should be construed to require the Vendor to surrender intellectual property, real or personal property, or information or data owned by the Vendor for which the State has no legal claim.

U. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Vendor shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131–12134), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA Amendments Act) (Pub.L. 110–325, 122 Stat. 3553 (2008)), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities.

III. Vendor Duties

Bidder should read the Vendor Duties within this section and must initial either “Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” or “Exceptions Taken to Vendor Duties Within Section as Written” in the table below. If the bidder takes any exceptions, they must provide the following within the “Exceptions” field of the table below (Bidder may provide responses in separate attachment if multiple exceptions are taken):

1. The specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken;

2. An explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause; and

3. Provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.

By signing the solicitation, bidder agrees to be legally bound by all the accepted terms and conditions, and any proposed alternative terms and conditions submitted with the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to negotiate rejected or proposed alternative language. If the State and bidder fail to agree on the final Terms and Conditions, the State reserves the right to reject the solicitation response. The State

Vendor Duties Within

Section as Written (Initial)

Exceptions Taken to Vendor Duties Within

Section as Written (Initial)

Exceptions:

(Bidder must note the specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken, an explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause, A. INDEPENDENT VENDOR / OBLIGATIONS

It is agreed that the Vendor is an independent Vendor and that nothing contained herein is intended or should be construed as creating or establishing a relationship of employment, agency, or a partnership.

The Vendor is solely responsible for fulfilling the contract. The Vendor or the Vendor’s representative shall be the sole point of contact regarding all contractual matters.

The Vendor shall secure, at its own expense, all personnel required to perform the services under the contract. The personnel the Vendor uses to fulfill the contract shall have no contractual or other legal relationship with the State; they shall not be considered employees of the State and shall not be entitled to any compensation, rights or benefits from the State, including but not limited to, tenure rights, medical and hospital care, sick and vacation leave, severance pay, or retirement benefits.

By-name personnel commitments made in the bidder's solicitation response shall not be changed without the prior written approval of the State. Replacement of these personnel, if approved by the State, shall be with personnel of equal or greater ability and qualifications.

All personnel assigned by the Vendor to the contract shall be employees of the Vendor or a subcontractor and shall be fully qualified to perform the work required herein.

Personnel employed by the Vendor or a subcontractor to fulfill the terms of the contract shall remain under the sole direction and control of the Vendor or the subcontractor respectively.

With respect to its employees, the Vendor agrees to be solely responsible for the following:

1. Any and all pay, benefits, and employment taxes and/or other payroll withholding,

2. Any and all vehicles used by the Vendor’s employees, including all insurance required by state law,

3. Damages incurred by Vendor’s employees within the scope of their duties under the contract,

4. Maintaining Workers’ Compensation and health insurance that complies with state and federal law and submitting any reports on such insurance to the extent required by governing law,

5. Determining the hours to be worked and the duties to be performed by the Vendor’s employees; and,

6. All claims on behalf of any person arising out of employment or alleged employment (including without limit claims of discrimination alleged against the Vendor, its officers, agents, or subcontractors or subcontractor’s employees).

If the Vendor intends to utilize any subcontractor, the subcontractor's level of effort, tasks, and time allocation should be clearly defined in the solicitation response. The Vendor shall agree that it will not utilize any subcontractors not specifically included in its solicitation response in the performance of the contract without the prior written authorization of the State. If the Vendor subcontracts any of the work, the Vendor agrees to pay any and all subcontractors in accordance with the Vendor’s agreement with the respective subcontractor(s).

The State reserves the right to require the Vendor to reassign or remove from the project any Vendor or subcontractor employee.

Vendor shall insure that the terms and conditions contained in any contract with a subcontractor does not conflict with the terms and conditions of this contract.

The Vendor shall include a similar provision, for the protection of the State, in the contract with any Subcontractor engaged to perform work on this contract.

B. FOREIGN ADVERSARY CONTRACTING PROHIBITION ACT

CERTIFICATION (Nonnegotiable)

The Vendor certifies that it is not a scrutinized company as defined under the Foreign Adversary Contracting Prohibition Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. § 73-903 (5); that it will not subcontract with any scrutinized company for any aspect of performance of the contemplated contract; and that any products or services to be provided do not originate with a scrutinized company.

C. EMPLOYEE WORK ELIGIBILITY STATUS

The Vendor is required and hereby agrees to use a federal immigration verification system to determine the work eligibility status of employees physically performing services within the State of Nebraska. A federal immigration verification system means the electronic verification of the work authorization program authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, 8 U.S.C. 1324a, known as the E-Verify Program, or an equivalent federal program designated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal agency authorized to verify the work eligibility status of an employee.

If the Vendor is an individual or sole proprietorship, the following applies:

1. The Vendor must complete the United States Citizenship Attestation Form, available on the Department of Administrative Services website at https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/docs/pdf/Individual%20or%20Sole%20Proprietor %20United%20States%20Attestation%20Form%20English%20and%20Spanish.pdf

2. The completed United States Attestation Form should be submitted with the Solicitation response.

3. If the Vendor indicates on such attestation form that he or she is a qualified alien, the Vendor agrees to provide the US Citizenship and Immigration Services documentation required to verify the Vendor’s lawful presence in the United States using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program.

4. The Vendor understands and agrees that lawful presence in the United States is required, and the Vendor may be disqualified, or the contract terminated if such lawful presence cannot be verified as required by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 4-108.

D. COMPLIANCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT / NONDISCRIMINATION (Nonnegotiable)

The Vendor shall comply with all applicable local, state, and federal statutes and regulations regarding civil rights laws and equal opportunity employment. The Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act prohibits Vendors of the State of Nebraska, and their Subcontractors, from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment, with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, compensation, or privileges of employment because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, or national origin (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-1101 to 48-1125). The Vendor guarantees compliance with the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act, and breach of this provision shall be regarded as a material breach of contract. The Vendor shall insert a similar provision in all Subcontracts for goods and services to be covered by any contract resulting from this Solicitation.

E. COOPERATION WITH OTHER VENDORS

Vendor may be required to work with or in close proximity to other Vendors or individuals that may be working on same or different projects. The Vendor shall agree to cooperate with such other Vendors or individuals and shall not commit or permit any act which may interfere with the performance of work by any other Vendor or individual.

Vendor is not required to compromise Vendor’s intellectual property or proprietary information unless expressly required to do so by this contract.

F. DISCOUNTS

Prices quoted shall be inclusive of ALL trade discounts. Cash discount terms of less than thirty (30) days will not be considered as part of the solicitation response. Cash discount periods will be computed from the date of receipt of a properly executed claim voucher or the date of completion of delivery of all items in a satisfactory condition, whichever is later.

G. PRICES

Prices quoted shall be net, including transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid by the bidder, F.O.B. destination named in the Solicitation. No additional charges will be allowed for packing, packages, or partial delivery costs. When an arithmetic error has been made in the extended total, the unit price will govern.

Prices submitted on the cost sheet, once accepted by the State, shall remain fixed for the first two (2) years of the contract. Any request for a price increase subsequent to the first two (2) years of the contract shall not exceed four percent (4 %) of the price proposed for the period. Increases shall not be cumulative and will only apply to that period of the contract. The request for a price increase must be submitted in writing to the State Purchasing Bureau a minimum of 120 days prior to the end of the current contract period. Documentation may be required by the State to support the price increase.

The State reserves the right to deny any requested price increase. No price increases are to be billed to any State Agencies prior to written amendment of the contract by the parties.

The State will be given full proportionate benefit of any decreases for the term of the contract.

H. PERMITS, REGULATIONS, LAWS

The contract price shall include the cost of all royalties, licenses, permits, and approvals, whether arising from patents, trademarks, copyrights or otherwise, that are in any way involved in the contract. The Vendor shall obtain and pay for all royalties, licenses, and permits, and approvals necessary for the execution of the contract. The Vendor must guarantee that it has the full legal right to the materials, supplies, equipment, software, and other items used to execute this contract.

I. OWNERSHIP OF INFORMATION AND DATA / DELIVERABLES

The State shall have the unlimited right to publish, duplicate, use, and disclose all information and data developed or obtained by the Vendor on behalf of the State pursuant to this contract.

The State shall own and hold exclusive title to any deliverable developed as a result of this contract. Vendor shall have no ownership interest or title, and shall not patent, license, or copyright, duplicate, transfer, sell, or exchange, the design, specifications, concept, or deliverable.

J. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Vendor shall throughout the term of the contract maintain insurance as specified herein and provide the State a current Certificate of Insurance/Acord Form (COI) verifying the coverage. The Vendor shall not commence work on the contract until the insurance is in place. If Vendor subcontracts any portion of the Contract the Vendor must, throughout the term of the contract, either:

1. Provide equivalent insurance for each subcontractor and provide a COI verifying the coverage for the subcontractor,

2. Require each subcontractor to have equivalent insurance and provide written notice to the State that the Vendor has verified that each subcontractor has the required coverage; or,

3. Provide the State with copies of each subcontractor’s Certificate of Insurance evidencing the required coverage.

The Vendor shall not allow any Subcontractor to commence work until the Subcontractor has equivalent insurance. The failure of the State to require a COI, or the failure of the Vendor to provide a COI or require subcontractor insurance shall not limit, relieve, or decrease the liability of the Vendor hereunder.

In the event that any policy written on a claims-made basis terminates or is canceled during the term of the contract or within three (3) years of termination or expiration of the contract, the Vendor shall obtain an extended discovery or reporting period, or a new insurance policy, providing coverage required by this contract for the term of the contract and three (3) years following termination or expiration of the contract.

If by the terms of any insurance a mandatory deductible is required, or if the Vendor elects to increase the mandatory deductible amount, the Vendor shall be responsible for payment of the amount of the deductible in the event of a paid claim.

Notwithstanding any other clause in this Contract, the State may recover up to the liability limits of the insurance policies required herein.

1. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE

The Vendor shall take out and maintain during the life of this contract the statutory Workers’ Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance for all of the contactors’ employees to be engaged in work on the project under this contract and, in case any such work is sublet, the Vendor shall require the Subcontractor similarly to provide Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance for all of the Subcontractor’s employees to be engaged in such work. This policy shall be written to meet the statutory requirements for the state in which the work is to be performed, including Occupational Disease. The policy shall include a waiver of subrogation in favor of the State. The COI shall contain the mandatory COI subrogation waiver language found hereinafter. The amounts of such insurance shall not be less than the limits stated hereinafter. For employees working in the State of Nebraska, the policy must be written by an entity authorized by the State of Nebraska Department of Insurance to write Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability Insurance for Nebraska employees.

2. COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE AND COMMERCIAL

AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY INSURANCE

The Vendor shall take out and maintain during the life of this contract such Commercial General Liability Insurance and Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance as shall protect Vendor and any Subcontractor performing work covered by this contract from claims for damages for bodily injury, including death, as well as from claims for property damage, which may arise from operations under this contract, whether such operation be by the Vendor or by any Subcontractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them, and the amounts of such insurance shall not be less than limits stated hereinafter.

The Commercial General Liability Insurance shall be written on an occurrence basis, and provide Premises/Operations, Products/Completed Operations, Independent Vendors, Personal Injury, and Contractual Liability coverage. The policy shall include the State, and others as required by the contract documents, as Additional Insured(s). This policy shall be primary, and any insurance or self-insurance carried by the State shall be considered secondary and non-contributory. The COI shall contain the mandatory COI liability waiver language found hereinafter. The Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance shall be written to cover all Owned, Non-owned, and Hired vehicles.

REQUIRED INSURANCE COVERAGE

COMMERCIAL GENERAL…