The Georgia State Senate passed on Monday February 24 a bill authorizing a wider use of public-private partnerships to develop infrastructure projects.

The General Assembly enacted legislation during the last decade to let the Georgia Department of Transportation enter into public-private partnerships for highway projects. However, most other state agencies, cities and counties are not permitted to do P3s under current law.

SB 255 authorizes public entities to accept solicited and unsolicited proposals for the development or operation of a qualifying project that meets a public purpose and public need. SB 255 also addresses the effect of breaches of any contract.

SB 255, if passed, will create an administrative Guidelines Committee as well as a Joint Legislative Oversight Committee to help regulate the way P3 contracts are awarded. These guidelines will be issued by July 1, 2015, and updated every two years thereafter.

To be enacted, the House Transportation Committee must pass the legislation on or before the last day of the 2014 session, on March 20.