Pub. Contract Code, § 10722

Work on all projects shall be done under contract awarded to the lowest responsible bidder pursuant to this chapter, except that it may be done by day’s labor under the direction of the trustees, by contract upon informal bids, or by a combination thereof:

(a) When the trustees determine that an emergency exists due to an act of God, earthquake, flood, storm, fire, landslide, public disturbance, vandalism, or other unexpected cause which results in damage to a state-owned building, state-owned real property, or any improvements thereon, for work and remedial measures which are required immediately and which are necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

The trustees shall annually, on or before December 31, report to the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee the instances in which an exemption from the bidding process was allowed due to “unexpected causes.”

(b) At any time after the approval of plans, specifications, and estimates of cost, if the trustees deem the advertising or award of a contract, the acceptance of any bid, or the acceptance of any further bids after the rejection of all submitted bids, is not in the best interests of the state.