IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 5)
legislative uPdate//
Design-Build Progresses
on DBIA’s Watch
the temPerature outside is a brisk minus 15
degrees with a wind chill of 35 degrees below zero.
But inside the halls of the North Dakota State Capitol,
things are heating up on a bill expanding design-build
authority—a reminder of the difficult battles ahead.
In DBIA’s 20-year history, the growth of
design-build at the state and local levels has been
nothing less than remarkable. When DBIA formed
in 1993, design-build was limited to one state—
Virginia. Today, there are only eight states left in
which design-build is a limited option, and every
state now allows design-build in some fashion.
Legislatively, DBIA’s first 12 years were the most
difficult. Design-build was a completely new way of
doing business for many industry professionals in
the ’90s. Many were wary of, or resistant to, the
new method. But the number of bills extending the
reach of design-build increased steadily, from just a
few in 1993 to 49 in 2001. In spite of design-build
having full authorization in only a handful of states
and 12 states having no design-build authority at
all, the first design-build wave was starting.
The number of bills covering design-build
exploded in 2002, with 143 introduced and 52 passing. The trend continued through 2005, peaking at
250 bills introduced and 82 enacted. By the end of
2005, design-build was fully authorized in 16 states
and widely permitted in 12 others. But there were
still significant differences in design-build authorization: In most states, design-build was fully authorized
or widely permitted for building projects, but the
opposite was true in the transportation sector. In 15
states, design-build was not yet authorized, and the
option remained limited in 13 states.
From 2005 to 2009, the number of bills introduced
and enacted declined each year, and the map of designbuild authority didn’t change much. DBIA Legislative
Committee Chairman Bill Quatman had predicted
years before, “The drop in number of bills is not a
sign of declining interest in design-build, but a sign of
success in prior years, which requires fewer bills each
dbia.org
successive year.” Fewer bills meant that design-build
had arrived—especially in the building sector, where
two-thirds of states had authorized its use.
Design-build continued to lag in transportation, but this changed dramatically in 2009. DBIA
advocated at the state and federal levels to expand
design-build in the sector, coinciding with passage
of the federal stimulus bill. A record 100 designbuild bills were enacted—about 62 percent of
the bills introduced—and the majority of states
expanded design-build in the transportation sector. In the same year, the number of states without
any Department of Transportation (DOT) designbuild authorization fell to eight.
Since then, more legislation has been enacted
than in any period in DBIA history, including
historic legislation in Ohio, New York and Texas.
Design-build has also grown dramatically at the
local level, accounting for almost half of all designbuild bills enacted in the last three years.
On the other hand, North Dakota, Iowa,
Alabama and Wisconsin still have severe limitations on design-build, and it remains a limited
option in New York, New Jersey and Missouri. The
industry in these states has always been divided on
the issue or opposed to design-build altogether,
making passage of legislation near impossible.
I am optimistic, however, that design-build will
make further inroads. Over the last three years,
DBIA has passed legislation in states where no one
thought it possible. The association has a powerful
message that resonates throughout the country. If
we continue to educate owners and public officials,
DBIA will continue to redefine what’s possible for
the industry.
By richard thomas
riChArD thoMAs is DireCtor, stAte /LoCAL LegisL Ative AFFAirs At DBiA, Where he MAnAges the
orgAniZAtion’s LoBBying AnD ADvoCACy eFForts. he
is ALso the Author oF ChAPters For DBiA’s MAnuAL
oF PrACtiCe AnD An uPCoMing BooK on DesignBuiLD in the WAter AnD WAsteWAter seCtor.
spring//2013
5
http://www.dbia.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IQ Spring 2013
IQ Spring 2013
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page Cover1)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page Cover2)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 1)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 2)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 3)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 4)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 5)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 6)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 7)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 8)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 9)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 10)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 11)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 12)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 13)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 14)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 15)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 16)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 17)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 18)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 19)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page 20)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page Cover3)
IQ Spring 2013 - (Page Cover4)
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