SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 6347

              As Passed Senate, February 15, 2000

Title:  An act relating to small works rosters.

Brief Description:  Creating small works roster provisions to award public works contracts.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, Winsley and Gardner).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  1/26/2000, 2/3/2000 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/15/2000, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6347 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  There are many statutory provisions for the use of small works rosters by various units of government.  The dollar thresholds for the use of the small works roster vary from $10,000 for fire protection districts to $200,000 for port districts.  Most others are $100,000.

Most units of government reference the use of the uniform small works procedure found in the public works chapter of the public contracts title of law.  Higher education, housing authorities, irrigation districts, public utility districts and school districts are the exceptions.

This uniform procedure requires state agencies and local governments to solicit contractors to put their names on a general list or specialty list.  This is required once per year for state agencies and twice per year for local governments.

Bids must be solicited from at least five contractors on the small works roster.

A list of the contracts awarded by use of the small works roster must be posted at least once every two months.

Summary of Bill:  The threshold for use of the uniform small works roster process is $200,000 for all units of state government and the following units of local government, except irrigation districts, which are not affected by the bill:  Counties, cities, towns, community and technical colleges, county roads, fire protection districts, higher education, housing authorities, port districts, public hospital districts, public utility districts, school districts and water-sewer districts.

All included units of government must solicit contractors to put their names on a general list or specialty list at least once per year.

Bids must be solicited from at least five contractors or in a manner that will equitably distribute the opportunity among contractors with the capability of performing the work.  If the estimated cost of the work falls between $100,000 and $200,000, the state agency or local government, except port districts, must notify the rest of the roster of the availability of work.

A list of contracts awarded by use of the small works roster must be posted at least once a year.

The Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development or the Department of Community Development, if either SB 6396 or HB 2382 is enacted into law by June 30, 2000, must prepare a small works roster manual in cooperation with the Municipal Research and Services Center.

A report on the use of the small works roster must be submitted to the Alternative Public Works Construction Methods Oversight Committee before the 2003 legislative session.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This is quicker, better, cheaper way to go.  Contracts between $100,000 and $200,000 are significant to small contractors and all of them should at least be informed about this work.

This bill reduces the administrative burden of the small works roster which is the major reason the jurisdictions not using it now are not using it.  It gives local governments flexibility in administering state policy.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Gary Smith, Independent Business Assn.; Scott Taylor, WA Public Ports Assn.; Duke Schaub, AGC-WA; Charlie Brown, King County Schools Coalition; Jim Justin, AWC; Steve Lindstrom, Sno-King Water Dist. Coalition.