Provides for modifications to the Construction Management at Risk option in Public Bid Law (OR NO IMPACT See Note)

House Bill 887 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 38:2225.2.4 to establish comprehensive procedures governing the selection of construction management at risk contractors by public entities. The bill modifies the composition and operations of the selection review committee by requiring it to include an owner's representative, a design professional in the relevant discipline not involved in the project, a principal or employee of a licensed contractor in the relevant discipline not involved in the project, and two additional members who are qualified professionals in relevant disciplines and similarly not involved in the project. The legislation establishes quorum requirements mandating the presence of the owner's representative, at least one design professional, and at least one contractor representative for all committee actions including scoring, ranking, interviews, and publication of results. The bill implements uniform scoring and ranking procedures using a three-tier system awarding three points for first place, two points for second place, and one point for third place, applied separately to initial proposal reviews and post-interview evaluations. Additionally, the legislation prohibits consideration of fees and compensation until after contractor selection, requires public training meetings held under the Open Meetings Law before proposals are evaluated, and mandates expanded advertising of requests for qualifications in both the official journal of the state and on project notification systems.

The legislation directly affects public entities awarding construction management at risk contracts, construction professionals serving on selection committees, and firms bidding on these projects. Public entities must now conduct mandatory public training meetings before committee evaluations begin and expand their advertising requirements to reach broader audiences through state-level publications and electronic bidding systems. Selection committee members face stricter qualification requirements ensuring discipline-specific expertise and project non-involvement, and must operate under clear scoring procedures that eliminate subjective decision-making. Design professionals and contractors bidding for these contracts benefit from transparent, standardized evaluation criteria that separate qualifications-based selection from price negotiations, occurring only after a contractor has been selected. The requirement that proposers submit only qualifications-related information, with the owner establishing preconstruction fees independently, fundamentally restructures how these solicitations function.

The amendments operate within the existing Louisiana public contracting framework codified in Title 38, integrating with Open Meetings Law requirements under Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 42:17 regarding executive sessions and public records. The legislation preserves the ninety-day deadline for committee recommendations and maintains the public records status of committee findings, grading sheets, and recommendations while establishing specific Open Meetings Law exemptions for individual proposer interviews. The bill operates consistent with the state's broader procurement statutes referenced in Section 38:2211, which establish general contracting definitions and procedures. By eliminating requirements for audited financial statements and substituting payment and performance bonds as proof of financial stability, the legislation reduces compliance burdens on proposers while maintaining financial accountability safeguards.