HB 669: Quality Basic Education Act; award of low-wealth capital outlay grants to qualifying local school systems that award certain contracts for roofing improvements to suppliers that meet certain criteria; provide

Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act gives low-wealth capital outlay grants to school systems that meet certain financial eligibility criteria, helping pay for building projects. This bill adds roof replacement or repair projects to that grant program, but only if the district uses a roofing supplier that has already been approved by a cooperative purchasing organization and designated by the Department of Administrative Services as an authorized supply source, and only if the roof work appears in the district's approved local facilities plan. The bill also changes Georgia's public works bidding law (O.C.G.A. Chapter 36-91). It excludes roof improvements to existing buildings from the legal definition of 'public works construction,' and it says that hiring one of these pre-approved suppliers automatically satisfies the chapter's notice and competitive bidding requirements. The changes would take effect once signed by the Governor or allowed to become law without a signature, and would apply to contracts entered into on or after that date.

• Adds roofing improvements as a category eligible for low-wealth capital outlay grants under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-262, if done through an approved cooperative purchasing supplier.
• Requires the roofing project to be listed in the school system's most recently approved local facilities plan to qualify for the grant.
• Removes roof improvements to existing buildings from the definition of 'public works construction' in Georgia's bidding law (O.C.G.A. § 36-91-2).
• Declares that awarding a roofing contract to a Department of Administrative Services-designated cooperative purchasing supplier automatically meets the chapter's notice and competitive bidding requirements.
• Applies the changes to contracts entered into on or after the bill's effective date, which is upon the Governor's signature or the bill becoming law without signature.

Low-wealth Georgia school systems seeking state capital outlay grants, roofing suppliers approved through state cooperative purchasing programs, the Department of Administrative Services, and other roofing contractors or suppliers who are not on the approved list and would compete for fewer bid opportunities.

Qualifying school districts could get state grant money for roof work and avoid the usual competitive bidding process by using a pre-approved supplier, potentially speeding up projects. Roofing contractors outside the state's cooperative purchasing program could see fewer competitive bidding opportunities on Georgia school roofing jobs.

• Section 1 adds a new subsection (g) to O.C.G.A. § 20-2-262, granting low-wealth capital outlay funds for roofing work done through a DAS-designated cooperative purchasing supplier.
• Section 2 revises the definition of 'public works construction' in O.C.G.A. § 36-91-2 to exclude roof improvements to existing structures, except for any ancillary items placed on the roof.
• Section 3 adds subsection (i) to O.C.G.A. § 36-91-21, deeming competitive bidding requirements satisfied when a roofing contract goes to an approved cooperative purchasing supplier.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as the date of the Governor's signature or the bill becoming law without signature, applying to contracts made on or after that date.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
2. 2025-03-03House Second Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-28House First Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-27House Hopper (House)

• Steven Meeks (R, HD-178)Primary sponsor
• James Burchett (R, HD-176)
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)

• school construction funding
• public works bidding
• roofing contracts
• education funding
• state procurement