LOS ANGELES — The City Council voted on adapting the state regulations banning contractors linked to interests in the country of

Iran on February 21.

The Iran Contracting Act of 2010, or AB 1650, was an attempt by the state to introduce the Divestment Act of 2010 from Congress into

California. Now the city of

Los Angeles will follow similar steps to prevent businesses linked to the sanctioned country from bidding on contracts within the city.

In October 2013, the City Council instructed the City Administrative Office (CAO) to create a comprehensive study, with help from various other departments, that examined the city’s compliance with the Iran Contacting Act while also including a “bidder certification process” that would fall in line with regulations based on AB 1650, according to the CAO’s study. While no city department was found to have somehow violated AB 1650, the City Council decided to take steps that would ensure that such a violation would not take place.

The result of the study was the creation of the Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit, which all prospective contract bidders must fill out prior to any bidding, as passed by the City Council in a 13-0 vote.

Contractors that are bidding on contracts worth more than $1 million must not be found to have invested more than $20 million in

Iran’s energy sector, according to the affidavit. In addition, they must not be on the Department of General Services list of entities that are prohibited from doing business with public departments, pursuant to AB 1650.

City departments are now ordered to comply with the Iran Contracting Act, which itself was created to put pressure on

Iran to discourage the country from pursuing nuclear interests. The affidavit and the list of prohibited businesses will be placed on the Bureau of Contract Administration’s website.

The penalties for using false certification to bid on contracts within the state, according to the Contracting Act, can exceed $250,000 or double the amount of the contract being bid on as well termination of existing contracts and ineligibility of bidding on future contracts for three years after the date of application.