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Committee approves bill to send large MDOT/MDTA contracts and land purchases to Board of Public Works
Summary
The Appropriations Committee approved House Bill 578, which, as amended, requires MDOT and the Maryland Transportation Authority to submit contracts and land purchases of $10 million or more to the Board of Public Works for approval, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The Appropriations Committee voted to approve House Bill 578, which—if enacted—will require the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) to submit contracts and land purchases of $10,000,000 or more to the Board of Public Works (BPW) for approval.
Delegate Watson moved approval of the bill and described the change as removing exemptions that previously allowed certain capital expenditures and land purchases to proceed without BPW oversight. An amendment adopted by the committee raised the threshold for BPW oversight from $500,000 to $10,000,000 and set an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.
The committee approved the amendment and then passed the bill as amended on a roll-call vote. Members recorded on the roll call who voted in the affirmative include Vice Chair Chang; Delegate Smith; Delegate Lewis; Delegate Shetty; Delegate Watson; Delegate Solomon; Delegate Christ; Delegate Jones; Delegate McCaskell; Delegate Ruff; Delegate McComas; Delegate Spiegel; Delegate Beauchamp; Delegate Mangione; Delegate Wallach; Delegate Hinebaugh; Delegate Acevedo; Delegate Metzger; Delegate Edelson; Delegate Harris; and Delegate Forbes. The tally as recorded during the roll call on the transcript was all affirmative votes and no recorded negatives or abstentions.
Committee discussion on the floor focused on the amendment and the bill’s effect on oversight for capital projects and land purchases tied to state roads, bridges and highways. The amendment altered the level of procurement review by changing the monetary threshold that triggers BPW review and approval; the committee set the later effective date to allow for implementation under the new threshold.
The bill, as amended, now moves forward from the Appropriations Committee. The transcript does not specify a committee report number, committee referral for further consideration, or the bill’s next committee or floor scheduling.
Votes at a glance: House Bill 578 (as amended) — amendment adopted; bill passed Committee on roll call (affirmative votes recorded in transcript).
