HB 5800 Summary

• Requires school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies to obtain competitive bids for new construction, additions, and renovations of school buildings (exempts emergency repairs).

• Mandates bid advertisements in newspapers and on the Department of Management and Budget website for at least 2 weeks, with public bid opening meetings where all bids are read aloud.

• Requires each bid to include a sworn and notarized statement disclosing any familial relationships between the bidder and school board members, superintendents, or academy executives.

• Specifies that bid specifications must describe required performance and design characteristics of materials, written by architects or engineers (not manufacturer representatives); allows brand-name specifications with 3 or more equivalent alternatives only when performance standards cannot be specified.

• Exempts projects costing less than $22,766.00 and routine maintenance performed by school employees; allows school boards to adopt local preferences for Michigan-based contractors, subject to federal law compliance.