Today the House took floor action on a handful of bills, including House Bill 1690 regarding alternative public works contracting.

HB 1690 was left behind in the House Committee on Rules upon adjournment of the 2010 regular session. Today the House moved the bill from House Rules to the floor and unanimously voted to move HB 1690 to the Senate.

The bill passed by the House was passed with language that changed requirements established in the original bill.

Both the original bill and the bill passed by the House today emphasize the intent of the Legislature to clarify that, unless otherwise specifically provided for in law, public bodies that want to use an alternative public works contracting procedure may use only those procedures specifically authorized in chapter 39.10 RCW.

The original bill also directed the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board (CPARB) to recommend to the appropriate committees of the Legislature other alternative contracting procedures.

However the bill language adopted in the final version passed by the House this afternoon removes the direction given to the University of Washington Board of Regents to receive approval from CPARB prior to adopting new alternative public works contracting methods and the authority of CPARB to approve demonstration projects, and submit reports.

House Bill 1690 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.