Pending Legislation
Senate Bill 831: Transportation Council and Planning Responsibilities
Introduced: Senator Larry Grooms (R-37)
Summary: Establishes a coordinating council for transportation and mobility and defines its membership, powers, and responsibilities. The bill also relates to the chief internal auditor and clarifies qualifications and scope of activities. Additionally, the development of a long-range statewide transportation plan is provided for, while the Department of Transportation is deemed responsible for developing the plan. The responsibilities and duties of the deputy secretaries is also relayed.
Design-Build Impact: The bill allows the Department of Transportation to enter into public-private partnership arrangements for transportation projects including design-build agreements. SCDOT will also now be able to use phased design-build contracts as a project delivery method. SCDOT and the design-builder must establish a guaranteed maximum construction cost, which is defined as the final design and construction of the project including the contractor’s direct costs, overhead, and profit, plus any authorized contingency. SCDOT is also authorized to promote the use of the phased design-build method. All these developments will likely end up furthering and increasing the use of design-build when it comes to SCDOT projects and as well as across the state in general.
Last Action: January 20, 2026: The bill is within the SENATE Committee on TRANSPORTATION with a hearing scheduled on February 12th.
Status: In Committee
DBIA Position: Neutral
DBIA Priority Level: Medium