Committee raises OPM threshold to $2M, adds conflict‑of‑interest limit for school building projects

CONCORD — The House Education Funding Committee on Wednesday voted to advance Senate Bill 513 with an amendment that raises the threshold for requiring an owner's project manager (OPM) on school building projects and adds a statutory conflict‑of‑interest prohibition.

Representative Rick Lad, presenting amendment 1586H, said the change increases the threshold at which a district must hire an OPM from $1.25 million to $2 million to reflect current project sizes and costs. The amendment also clarifies that an OPM is optional in some smaller projects and may be hired before the state design contract is executed to represent district interests during design.

A notable insertion into statute reads: "The OPM shall have no contractual ties to the architect, design team, or general contractor to avoid conflicts of interest," Lad said, describing past instances when project oversight was compromised by personnel tied to contractors.

Committee members discussed funding for school building aid generally and expressed differing views about the state's role in construction aid. After debate, the committee voted to report SB513 ought to pass with amendment 1586H; the measure was placed on the consent calendar.