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Committee advances bill raising capital-project threshold for public postsecondary institutions
Summary
The House State Government Committee voted to advance House Bill 491, which raises the dollar threshold that triggers capital-project review for public postsecondary institutions from $200,000 to $500,000 and makes several related changes affecting staffing and pension information.
The House State Government Committee advanced House Bill 491 on a unanimous 19-0 roll call, moving the measure to the full House.
The bill would raise the dollar threshold that classifies certain leases, equipment purchases and IT acquisitions as capital projects requiring capital-project or bond-oversight approval from $200,000 to $500,000. Representative Steve Riley, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure also would allow employees or individuals hired specifically for a capital construction project to perform that work up to $500,000, remove limits on the number of retired police officers that can work at most public universities, and require that pension information be released to employers in a timely manner.
Supporters said the change is intended to reduce administrative burden on public postsecondary institutions while keeping records available. Travis Powell, senior vice president and general counsel for the Council on Postsecondary Education, told the committee that the thresholds at issue are used to determine when projects and procurements qualify for review by capital-project and bond-oversight processes and that information on projects remains “publicly available” and can be provided on request.
Committee members asked how oversight would be preserved if the threshold increases. Powell said procurement and records-retention processes still apply and members may request information from institutions at any time. He said there is not a single centralized reporting list required by the new language, but institutions retain procurement records and the committee or members can request them.
Representative Riley confirmed the previous threshold was $200,000 and that HB 491 raises it to $500,000. The committee first adopted a committee substitute by voice vote and then approved the bill on roll call. The committee chair announced the bill passed the committee by a 19-0 tally and urged members to “do the same on the House floor.”
The bill does not change appropriations or funding processes, and committee discussion focused on oversight and record access rather than new spending. The committee secretary conducted a roll call that recorded affirmative votes from members present; the chair read the final tally as 19 yes, 0 no.
House Bill 491 now advances to the full House for consideration.
