Transportation, Dept. of - As enacted, in the event of a transportation system failure or other emergency, grants the commissioner emergency contracting authority to enter into contracts for design-build, construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), and progressive design-build (PDB) services for the delivery of transportation projects; exempts the department from having to identify such contracts exceeding $100 million in its transportation improvement program submitted annually to the general assembly in support of its annual funding recommendations, if they are issued under such emergency contracting authority; makes other revisions to the CM/GC and PDB process. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 12 and Title 54.

SB 1308 grants Tennessee's Department of Transportation (TDOT) emergency contracting authority during transportation system failures or threats to public safety. It allows the commissioner to bypass standard bidding rules and enter contracts for design-build, construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), or progressive design-build (PDB) services without adhering to typical procurement requirements. The bill exempts emergency contracts exceeding $100 million from annual reporting in TDOT's transportation improvement program, though written notice must be sent to legislative committees within 30 days. This directly affects TDOT's ability to rapidly repair critical infrastructure during emergencies, such as bridge collapses or major accidents, while maintaining limited transparency through committee notifications.