HB 312: PUBLIC CONTRACTS: Prohibits the state and any of its political subdivisions or agencies from using price or price-related information as a factor in the selection of architectural and engineering professional services for certain projects (EN NO IMPACT See Note) - Louisiana

HB312 Original → HB312 Act · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized into an Act, adding a new subsection (B) that mandates a specific negotiation process for selecting professional services. This change clarifies that if a political subdivision cannot negotiate a fair contract, they must formally terminate discussions and restart the selection process with the next firm, ensuring price is not used as a selection factor.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from only amending subsection (A) to also amending subsection (B), thereby adding a new procedural requirement for negotiations.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement (Subsection B) mandating that if negotiations fail to produce a fair contract, the entity must formally terminate talks and restart the selection process with the next firm.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and section header to reflect the addition of subsection (B) and changed 'contract with' to 'contract through' for consistency.

Removed the original pre-file notice regarding the Constitution and the legislative digest/abstract, as these are procedural documents not included in the final enacted law.

HB312 Enrolled → HB312 Original · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill modifies the rules for selecting architects and engineers in Louisiana by removing the requirement to negotiate a fair and reasonable price with a selected firm. Previously, if negotiations failed, the entity had to continue with the next firm until a price agreement was reached. The new version eliminates this negotiation mandate, allowing entities to proceed without securing a specific price agreement before moving to the next candidate. This change shifts the focus from price negotiation to the selection process itself, potentially streamlining hiring for professional services.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from amending two subsections (A and B) to only amending subsection (A). The specific requirement in subsection B regarding the mandatory negotiation process and termination of negotiations if that process failed was removed entirely.

REQUIREMENT

The mandatory requirement for state and local entities to negotiate a fair and reasonable price with a selected architectural or engineering firm was removed.

The procedure requiring entities to formally terminate negotiations and continue with the next firm if a satisfactory contract could not be negotiated was eliminated.

SCOPE

The bill text was updated to reference only subsection (A) of the relevant statute, as the changes to subsection (B) were deleted.

HB312 Reengrossed → HB312 Enrolled · 4 edits · Jun 8, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized into its official enrolled version, removing the House and Senate committee amendment summaries and technical coding notes that were present in the reengrossed draft. The actual legal text regarding the prohibition on using price as a factor in selecting architects and engineers remains substantively unchanged from the previous version.

Scope change

The scope of the law itself did not change; only the document metadata and explanatory sections were removed to finalize the bill.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Digest' section which provided a summary of the law's purpose and abstract.

Removed the 'Summary of Amendments Adopted by House' and 'House Floor Amendments' sections that explained how the bill was modified during the legislative process.

Changed the document header from 'REENGROSSED' to 'ENROLLED' to indicate the bill has passed all stages and is ready for the Governor's signature.

Updated page numbering and formatting codes to reflect the final enrolled version.

HB312 Engrossed → HB312 Reengrossed · 3 edits · May 28, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to add a new subsection (B) that requires government entities to negotiate fair and reasonable compensation rates with selected professional service firms. If negotiations fail, the entity must formally terminate those talks and continue the process with the next firm until a satisfactory contract is reached. This change expands the bill's scope by adding specific procedural requirements for contract negotiation and termination, ensuring that price remains non-negotiable while providing a clear path forward if initial agreements cannot be made.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly covers the negotiation process and termination procedures for professional service contracts, in addition to the existing prohibition on using price as a selection factor.

REQUIREMENT

New requirement for government entities to negotiate fair and reasonable compensation rates with selected firms.

Mandatory procedure to formally terminate negotiations and restart with the next firm if a satisfactory contract cannot be reached.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill headers and section references to reflect the addition of subsection (B) and the reengrossed status.

PUBLIC CONTRACTS: Prohibits the state and any of its political subdivisions or agencies from using price or price-related information as a factor in the selection of architectural and engineering professional services for certain projects (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

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