Section 50710.5

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no housing authority, housing authority commissioner, housing authority officer, or housing authority employee, acting in good faith, shall be civilly liable for any injury caused by the presence of lead-based paint, prior to January 1, 1989, in or upon any housing units or related facilities owned by an agency of the state and operated by the housing authority pursuant to a contract authorized by Section 50710 by and between the housing authority and the department.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not, however, limit or expand any liability which the state or the United States may have under other laws on account of an injury specified in this subdivision.

(c) Subdivision (a) does not limit or expand any liability which arose prior to January 1, 1988.

(d) Any housing authority made a defendant in a civil action alleging civil liability on account of any alleged injury specified in subdivision (a), including injuries for which liability may exist under subdivision (c), shall immediately notify the department thereof and may request the state to provide legal representation to defend the housing authority in the litigation. In the event the Attorney General fails to provide legal representation pursuant to the housing authority’s request, the department shall indemnify the housing authority for reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred by the housing authority to defend the lawsuit.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any contract let by a housing authority to determine the existence of, or mitigate, potential health hazards which existed as of April 1, 1988, and caused by lead-based paint in or upon housing units and facilities specified in subdivision (a), shall not be subject to competitive bidding requirements.