HB 587 would expand the Board of Public Works' authority to review MDOT and MDTA contracts over $5 million. While framed as an accountability measure, this bill would insert an unnecessary and burdensome layer of political oversight into the heart of Maryland's transportation procurement process — and the consequences for our industry would be severe.

Major transportation contracts — roads, bridges, transit, and airport infrastructure — require speed, precision, and market responsiveness. When awards are delayed, contractors are forced to hold bid prices longer, exposing them to inflation and material cost volatility that can make a winning bid a losing proposition. Project schedules compress. Subcontractors and suppliers are left in limbo. Workforce planning becomes impossible. And in a market already strained by rising costs and labor shortages, every unnecessary delay has a compounding effect on project delivery and business viability.

BPW review adds no technical expertise to this process. MDOT and MDTA already have robust procurement frameworks, oversight mechanisms, and accountability structures in place. What HB 587 would add is politics — and politics has no place in the day-to-day business of building Maryland's infrastructure.

The bottom line: more bureaucracy means fewer projects delivered, higher costs passed on to taxpayers, and greater financial risk absorbed by the contractors and small businesses that keep Maryland moving.

MTBMA testified in opposition before the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee on April 2. The session ends April 13. 

Time is running out. Contact your Senator now and ask them to oppose HB 587.