Bill > SB6170

This bill adjusts monetary limits for state highway construction work and procurement, allowing the state to perform more work using its own forces rather than contracting it out. Specifically, the threshold for work that can be done by state forces without competitive bidding, when not an emergency, increases from $50,000 to $100,000. For urgent situations where delaying work would jeopardize a highway or public safety, the limit for state forces increases to an inflation-adjusted amount, starting at $160,000 until January 1, 2027, after which it will be updated annually based on the national highway construction cost index. The bill also raises the limit for contracts that can be awarded to small businesses, veteran, minority, and women contractors without requiring a full bidding process to $160,000. Additionally, it modifies the rules for work on ferry vessels and terminals, allowing up to $100,000 of such work to be done by state forces, with a temporary increase to $400,000 for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, and outlines procedures for contacting contractors on a small works roster for ferry-related projects between $100,000 and $200,000 (or $400,000 and $500,000 during the specified biennium). The bill also mandates an independent analysis and a proposed program for ferry maintenance to reduce out-of-service times.