Summary — SB 2848
Title: Construction manager at-risk program; exempt under public bidding laws
Status: Died in Committee (per provided record)
Introduced: March 14, 2025
Subject areas: Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
Overview / Purpose
SB 2848 would authorize use of a "construction manager at‑risk" (CMAR) delivery model and exempt projects procured under that model from the state's standard public bidding laws. The stated goal is to provide an alternative procurement method intended to improve project delivery speed, cost certainty, and coordination between owner, designer, and builder for public construction projects.
What the bill would do (key idea)
- Establish (or explicitly permit) a CMAR program for public projects.
- Exempt projects procured under the CMAR program from traditional competitive public bidding statutes.
- (Full statutory language was not provided; the bill text is needed for precise mechanics, thresholds, oversight, and any required safeguards.)
Note: The version content supplied to me contains only the bill title and procedural history; it does not include detailed provisions (e.g., dollar thresholds, selection process, reporting/oversight requirements). The summary above is based on the bill title and typical CMAR provisions.
Potential effects / who would be affected
- State and local public owners (including school districts and higher‑education entities) could use CMAR instead of low‑bid public contracting processes.
- Contractors and construction managers would be affected by a shift from pure low‑bid awards to negotiated CMAR contracts, possibly increasing emphasis on qualifications, preconstruction services, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) negotiations.
- Suppliers and subcontractors could see changes in subcontractor procurement practices depending on how CMAR contracts are structured.
- Taxpayers and public‑interest groups could experience changes in transparency and competitive pressure; proponents argue improved schedule and cost control, opponents often cite reduced competitive bidding and oversight.
Oversight, accountability and transparency considerations
Because the bill touches statutory public bidding exemptions, important questions typically include:
- How CMAR firms would be selected (qualifications-based selection, negotiations, scoring).
- Whether cost, GMP, and change-order reporting would be required.
- Conflict-of-interest and disclosure rules.
- Audit and public transparency requirements.
Legislative timeline and status (as provided)
- Introduced / Received & filed: March 14, 2025
- Read first time / Referred to Education K‑16: April 7, 2025
- Other entries in the provided history show earlier 2024 actions and a “Died In Committee” entry dated February 4, 2025. These dates are inconsistent with one another in the supplied record.
- Final listed status: Died In Committee (per the provided information).
Sponsors
Primary sponsors: Senator Hashimoto, Kidani, Wakai, McKelvey, Chang, Fevella
Cosponsor: San Buenaventura
Notes / Next steps
- The full bill text is required to evaluate thresholds, selection process, reporting, and accountability mechanisms.
- Interested parties (public owners, industry groups, transparency advocates) should review the bill text and any fiscal or legal analyses to assess tradeoffs between delivery efficiency and competitive transparency.
