1Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
2comprehensive study of the costs and efficiencies of the
3requirements under Pennsylvania's public construction laws.

4WHEREAS, Public construction in this Commonwealth accounts 
5for nearly $36 billion annually in State spending; and

6WHEREAS, Public construction includes a wide range of
7projects, including renovations to State government buildings 
8and local school buildings; and

9WHEREAS, Public construction constitutes a significant share 
10of economic activity in this Commonwealth and is a major 
11economic driver and job creator; and

12WHEREAS, For more than 100 years, there have been no 
13substantive changes to this Commonwealth's public construction 
14laws; and

15WHEREAS, During that period, as with every other industry in 
16the United States, major changes have occurred with technology, 
17management techniques and practices, materials and the need for 
18greater energy efficiency in the design and construction
 

1industry; and

2WHEREAS, The Commonwealth, the design community, contractors, 
3trades people and laborers would benefit from a thorough review 
4and possible recommendations for stakeholders to consider 
5potential changes to this Commonwealth's public construction 
6laws; and

7WHEREAS, The key principles of any changes to this 
8Commonwealth's public construction laws shall include 
9transparency, flexibility, accountability and efficiency;
10therefore be it

11RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Joint State Government 
12Commission to establish a task force to compare public and 
13private construction projects to identify ways to improve public 
14construction projects; and be it further

15RESOLVED, That the task force be appointed by the President
16pro tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the Majority
17Leader and Minority Leader of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
18House of the Representatives, in consultation with the Majority
19Leader and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and
20shall be comprised of two members of the Senate, two members of
21the House of Representatives, two representatives of contractors
22with one representing merit shops and one representing union
23contractors (both contractors should have the ability to work
24both as a contractor and as a construction manager with bonding
25and insurance capabilities), two representatives of trade
26unions, two merit shop contractors with more than 150 full-time
27employees, two attorneys who dedicate the majority of their
28practice time to construction law, two design industry
29representatives, three representatives of public agencies or
30public sector owners specializing in the procurement process

1(one representative from the Pennsylvania Department of General
2Services, one representative from the Pennsylvania Department of
3Education and one representative from the Pennsylvania
4Department of Transportation) and two private sector owners who
5have built over $50 million in fully private construction
6projects within the past three years; and be it further

7RESOLVED, That the task force review and analyze 20
8Pennsylvania construction projects, ten privately bid and
9awarded, five bid and awarded by the Department of General
10Services and five bid and awarded by school districts, to
11compare the estimated original costs, bid costs, actual costs,
12number and amount of change orders and estimated completion
13dates and actual completion dates; and be it further

14RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission submit a
15report of the study to the Senate no later than December 31,
162014.