The Public Construction Law Changes Bill, which streamlines the construction process for state buildings, passed 75-32 during its first reading.
The House must vote on the bill again today before it passes. It still must be approved by the N.C. Senate.
Under the new bill, state agencies, including the UNC system, would select construction managers who would become responsible for keeping the project on time and on budget. The managers also solicit bids from subcontractors.
If there are problems during the construction process, the construction manager would bear ultimate responsibility.
One amendment was added to the bill Wednesday, which states that all bidders must provide documentation that proves they have made a good-faith effort to hire minorities.
In an earlier version of the bill, all bidders would only have to submit a signed affidavit saying they made the effort to hire minorities. Only successful bidders would have to provide proof.
Several UNC-system Board of Governors members, including Jim Phillips, chairman of the BOG Public Affairs Committee, lobbied legislators for the bill.
The push for a change in the state's construction law began after N.C. voters passed the $3.1 billion higher education bond last November. The bond will fund $2.5 billion of construction across the UNC system. UNC-CH will receive about $500 million from the bond.
Phillips said the main problem with the current system for state construction is that it is all handled by independent contractors and nobody is really in charge. "(Construction) will be speedier and less costly, and hopefully bidding will be more competitive," he said.