HB 1355 Summary

• Requires procurement officers to document their determination whether to pursue damages against design professionals or contractors when construction cost overruns occur.

• Directs the chief procurement officer to maintain and publicly post a list of construction companies and design professionals with noncompliance violations or outstanding fines under the procurement code, with violators remaining on the list for five years.

• Mandates that competitive sealed bidding contracts include a liability contingency fund (percentage to be specified) to help avoid cost overruns.

• Requires state procurement training programs to include instruction on procurement officers' duty to hold design professionals contractually liable for breaches of professional standards.

• Establishes a procurement professional standards task force co-chaired by the comptroller and chief procurement officer to develop professional standards for non-state parties involved in procurement and report findings to the legislature by 2022.