Bill > SB6170

This bill adjusts the monetary thresholds for when the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) can use its own state forces for highway construction, repair, and renovation projects instead of contracting them out. Specifically, the bill increases the general limit for using state forces from $50,000 to $100,000, and for urgent situations where delays could endanger the public, the limit is now tied to an inflation-adjusted amount, starting at $160,000 until January 1, 2027, after which WSDOT must annually update this figure based on the national highway construction cost index. The bill also raises the threshold for when WSDOT can use simplified bidding procedures to encourage participation from small, veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses, increasing this limit from $80,000 to $160,000. Additionally, it modifies the rules for work on ferry vessels and terminals, allowing state forces to perform work up to $100,000, with a temporary higher limit of $400,000 for the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, and outlines procedures for contacting contractors on a small works roster for projects between $100,000 and $200,000 (or $400,000 and $500,000 during the biennium). The bill also mandates an independent analysis and a proposed program to reduce ferry vessel out-of-service times, with specific recommendations to be presented to the legislature.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6170&Year=2025&Initiative=false