Education committee reports a package of bills on deferred maintenance, TOPS changes, dual enrollment and workforce alignment

The House Education Committee on October 12 reported a set of bills covering construction procurement, TOPS awards and multiple education workforce measures. Committee members heard presentations and debate before voting to report most bills to the next stage of the legislative process; several measures were adopted with technical amendments and one amendment to HB 77 passed on a recorded roll call.

Job order contracting and deferred maintenance

House Bill 566, filed by Representative Turner, would authorize job‑order contracting (JOC) as an alternative delivery method for deferred maintenance projects at post‑secondary institutions. Angela Gilmore, chief facilities officer at LSU, described JOC as a mechanism that lets facilities hire contractors before a detailed scope is finalized and use a large “price book” of preset line‑item costs to accelerate repetitive repair work. Roger Husser, assistant commissioner and director of Facility Planning and Control, said the method is intended to be a third tool in the state procurement toolbox — not a replacement for public bid law — and can shrink procurement lead times. The committee adopted technical amendments and reported HB 566.

TOPS awards and related bills

Representative Turner and Chair Schlegel offered House Bill 77 to revise TOPS award amounts, add a new “TOPS Excellence” tier for students who earn an ACT of 31 or higher, and raise most award amounts. The chair offered an amendment that adds a $700 stipend for students who choose the flagship campus and sets the Excellence award at $11,300 to better align with higher tuition campuses. Representative Tarver recorded an objection to the broader fiscal growth represented by the TOPS package; the amendment itself passed on a roll call, 10 yeas to 1 nay, and the bill was reported with amendments.

Committee members heard student leaders and university…