Governor Nixon Signs Design-Build Law, So Half Of States Have Full Design-Build Authority

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) played a key role in crafting the legislation, providing supporting testimony, and working with Representative Lincoln Hough and Senator Jay Wasson to get this legislation passed. Governor Jay Nixon signed the legislation July 1st.

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes best practices in design-build, celebrated the signing of H 2376 into law in Missouri recently. The law enables any local political subdivision to use design-build project delivery at their discretion. The bill also ensures that community development block grants are properly allocated to water and wastewater projects that are delivered using design-build. This legislation had a long road to victory spanning a decade, and is significant in light of the strong demand for design-build authority from public owners. The law changes Missouri's status on DBIA's popular design-build maps, so that half of states now have full design-build authority.

“This legislation affirms Missouri’s commitment to finding better ways to deliver construction projects for the taxpayers, and is encouraging for the future of design-build in the Midwest,” said G. William Quatman, Esq., FAIA, DBIA, who currently serves as Chairman of the National DBIA Board of Directors. Quatman is also a Missouri resident who serves as General Counsel for Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co.  He has helped to write the legislation in various forms, and testify for it, since 2007. “There is a great demand for design-build on local civil, architectural and water projects in Missouri, and I applaud the members of the Missouri General Assembly for embracing this comprehensive procurement reform. I am extremely grateful for all the hard work done at both the regional and national level to see this legislation through.” Mr. Quatman recently wrote this article (http://www.designbuilddoneright.com/a-lesson-in-sausage-making-and-persistence/) on the history of the Missouri design-build fight.

“With this bill coming so close last session, it is especially gratifying to see it win such large majorities this year,” said Brian Johanning, former President of DBIA’s Mid-America Region, who led the legislative effort on this bill. “This bill really shows what is possible when a united front takes on a necessary reform. In the true spirit of integrated design-build project delivery, we were able to build a coalition with industry stakeholders and utilize every resource in DBIA’s arsenal to see this one through.”

According to Lisa Washington, CAE, DBIA’s Executive Director and CEO, “Among the many bills we’ve worked on this session, this is by far one of most important. As a comprehensive reform, this bill allows all local agencies to not only use design-build, but to properly execute it. This legislation is an opportunity to promote Design-Build Done Right and to bolster other legislation in the region. We are very excited about this win.”

For further research or map graphics about design-build, or to speak with a DBIA representative, please contact DBIA’s Director of Communications & Special Projects, Geoffrey Corey.

About The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)

Established in 1993, the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) is the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes best practices in design-build project delivery. Design-build is an integrated approach that delivers design and construction services under one contract with a single point of responsibility. Owners select design-build to achieve best value while meeting schedule, cost and quality goals. For more information, visit www.dbia.org.