State Legislative Advocacy and Consulting Services

The Orange County Transportation Authority is requesting proposals for state legislative advocacy and consulting services during the 2027-28 legislative session under RFP 250342, with proposals due July 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. PST and a mandatory pre-proposal conference on July 7, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. PST via teleconference.

The awardee must be registered with the California Secretary of State as an active lobbyist in good standing with the Fair Political Practices Commission — a hard eligibility gate. The scope requires a Sacramento-based principal representative and specialized representatives to maintain regular contact with legislative and administrative offices; monitor introduced or amended legislation and regulations; advocate on OCTA's legislative priorities; maintain a functional Sacramento office accessible to OCTA Board members and staff; provide monthly advocacy activity reports with detailed meeting summaries; participate in monthly legislative committee conference calls; and deliver written and oral testimony on legislation. The consultant must designate key personnel whose removal or replacement requires OCTA's prior written consent and may not commit OCTA to any course of action without substantive review by OCTA personnel, counsel, and management.

The contract is structured as firm fixed-price with fully-burdened monthly rates specified by the proposer for each year. The initial two-year term runs January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028, with two optional two-year renewal periods extending through December 31, 2032. OCTA's funding commitment is $456,000 for the initial two-year term and $456,000 for each optional term, totaling up to $1.368 million over six years if all options are exercised. Funding comes from Local Measure M and federal FHWA sources. The incumbent is not identified. Evaluation criteria are weighted: Qualifications of Firm (25%), Staffing and Project Organization (35%), Work Plan (25%), and Cost (15%). The consultant must maintain commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, automobile liability with combined single limits of $1,000,000, workers' compensation, and employers' liability of $1,000,000 minimum. Questions are due July 14, 2026, with OCTA responses by July 16. Virtual interviews are scheduled for August 24, 2026. All work products become OCTA's property upon payment.