HB 377: Buildings and housing; manufactured homes; provisions

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From the bill

Discussed in meetings (10)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

1. Senate Rules Committee, January 27, 2026

   From 0:18:32 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A senator described the substitute as the qualifications-based selection proposal the Senate previously passed 54-1. An engineering-industry association witness said it would extend state-agency selection practices to local governments for architects, engineers, surveyors, landscape architects and interior designers. The witness said the requirements would apply when professional services are estimated at $75,000 or more, or total construction at $1 million or more, with implementation delayed to July 2027. Answering questions, the witness explained that governments would rank firms by qualifications, negotiate price with the highest-ranked firm, then move to the next if negotiations failed. The witness said the substitute would address two-bid requirements affecting road and bridge services and allow procurement to proceed with one response, helping smaller governments struggling to attract bidders. Another member questioned whether tailored qualifications could steer contracts to one firm. The witness cited recommended criteria, local control and a goal of greater competition, but did not identify a specific prohibition on steering. A member also questioned replacing the original manufactured-housing subject with procurement provisions. After discussion of the proposal’s legislative history, the chair postponed the vote until the House sponsor could attend and clarify questions.

2. Senate floor session, January 28, 2026 (legislative day 8)

   From 2:02:19 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Withdrawn & Recommitted)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The Rules chair requested that HB 377 be withdrawn from Rules and sent to Government Oversight. The clerk read its caption, describing limited exceptions to the circumstances under which a manufactured home becomes real property. The Senate approved the committee change without objection. No discussion of the proposed exceptions followed.

3. Senate Government Oversight Committee, February 12, 2026

   From 0:22:41 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair introduced a Senate substitute for HB 377 that replaced its previous subject. The presenting senator said it would require local governments to choose architects and engineers by qualifications before negotiating scope and fees for projects of at least $1 million, including roads and bridges. The presenter argued that low-fee selection encourages incomplete plans, safety risks and later costs, while governments could reject a fee and negotiate with the next-ranked firm. Responding to concerns about small governments and newer firms, the presenter said local governments could set their own qualification criteria and examine detailed hours, rates and expenses. One member noted that ACCG already recommends qualifications-based selection; another urged delaying action to preserve local flexibility. An ACCG witness opposed a mandate, saying smaller counties lack staff and need price comparisons. Fayette County’s procurement officer said 92% of county survey respondents did not primarily use low bids, and traditional proposals consider both qualifications and price. The officer said Fayette County generally weights technical merit at 70% and price at 30%. Asked for cost-overrun data, the officer said the survey had not collected it and described reviewing requested contract changes against the agreed scope. The committee approved the substitute, with two opposing votes counted and no affirmative count stated.

4. Senate Rules Committee, February 19, 2026

   From 0:13:56 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair called up HB 377, noted the absence of the Senate presenter and continued discussing the scheduling of House bills. No substantive presentation or vote occurred, and the bill was not included in the approved calendar.

5. Senate Rules Committee, February 20, 2026

   From 0:05:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A senator presenting HB 377 on behalf of its sponsor described it as requiring qualifications-based selection when hiring architects and engineers. The presenter said the bill had passed the Senate the previous year. No questions or calendar action followed.

6. Senate Rules Committee, February 24, 2026

   From 0:09:56 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter described the bill as requiring local governments to select architects and engineers based on qualifications, matching requirements the presenter said already apply at the state and federal levels. No questions followed. Later, the chair confirmed that the bill had already been covered and moved on. No vote was recorded.

7. Senate Rules Committee, February 25, 2026

   From 0:27:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The presenter said the bill had been changed to establish a process for selecting architects and engineers based on qualifications. The presenter said that language had previously passed the Senate 51 to 2 in another measure. No substantive questions followed. During calendar selection, a member asked whether the bill had been presented, and the chair confirmed that it had. The committee unanimously included it on the floor calendar.

8. Senate Rules Committee, February 26, 2026

   From 0:20:38 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel

   Summary by Georgia Commons: A member selected HB 377 for the floor calendar. The chair said it had been on the floor earlier that day but had been removed, and the member who previously selected it would receive the next pick at a future meeting. No substantive provisions were discussed. The committee unanimously approved the calendar containing the bill.

9. Senate floor session, March 3, 2026 (legislative day 26)

   From 1:32:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)

   Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee substitute replaced the manufactured-home provisions of HB 377 with rules for local governments selecting architects and engineers. The sponsor said the substitute used language the Senate had previously approved 54-1 and would emphasize qualifications rather than the lowest price. One member asked whether it could enable contracts with a single bidder or requirements written for one company. The sponsor said competitive advertising requirements would remain, but a local government could accept a qualified firm's submission when no other firms responded. The sponsor also said requirements improperly targeted at one company could be challenged in court. Asked whether a less-qualified firm could currently win by offering a slightly lower price, the sponsor said that could happen under price-based selection. The sponsor said organizations supported the proposal and that discussions had occurred with local governments over disagreements. The Senate adopted the substitute without objection and passed the bill 45-6.

• Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 12, 2026 (legislative day 18), 0:25:55

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