You asked for a summary of the provision in sSB 94 (An Act Concerning Reform of the Contracting Process) that eliminates the State Properties Review Board (SPRB). You also wanted to know the number of board members, their backgrounds, how often they meet, and how much they are compensated.

CONTRACTING REFORM ACT

sSB 94, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is awaiting the governor’s signature, establishes a State Contracting Standards Board (SCSB) as an independent state agency and the successor agency to the SPRB. It dissolves the SPRB on October 1, 2007 and transfers its duties and responsibilities to the SCSB on that date. By the same date, the bill requires the SCSB to establish a three-member subcommittee, called the State Properties Review Subcommittee, to perform SPRB’s duties in accordance with SCSB’s rules and procedures.

The SPRB reviews (1) real estate acquisitions, sales, leases, and subleases proposed by the Department of Public Works commissioner to meet state agencies’ needs; (2) the Department of Transportation commissioner’s acquisition (other than by condemnation), sale, or lease of property; and (3) contracts for projects the public works commissioner awards outside of the competitive bidding process (i. e. , fast-track projects).

SPRB MEMBERS’ QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPENSATION

The board consists of six members: three appointed jointly by the Senate president and the House speaker and three appointed jointly the minority leaders of the Senate and House. The Senate president and House speaker must appoint one member each with experience in architecture, building construction, and engineering. The minority leaders’ appointees must be experienced in real estate purchases, sales, and leases; business; and state institutions’ management and operations. Table 1 shows each SPRB member and the qualifications he is supposed to possess for the appointment. However, we were unable to verify that the membership experience requirements were met.

TABLE 1: SPRB MEMBERS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Board members receive a $ 200 per diem, which is capped at $ 30,000 annually for the chairman and $ 25,000 for other members. The law does not specify the frequency with which the board must meet.

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