The bill aims to significantly improve public higher education infrastructure in the Commonwealth by allocating $1,250,000,000 for capital improvements, maintenance, and modernization of facilities at state universities and community colleges. It establishes a grant program for repairs and climate resilience upgrades, ensuring equitable distribution among educational segments, and emphasizes alignment with campus master plans. Additionally, the bill introduces amendments to existing laws regarding the management and disposal of surplus real property, allowing the commissioner of higher education to dispose of such property under specific conditions, and modifies the selection process for design services by raising the threshold for projects requiring selection board involvement.

Furthermore, the legislation creates the Education and Transportation Innovation and Capital Account for one-time investments in public education and transportation infrastructure, and establishes the Higher Education Property Disposition Fund for capital projects addressing decarbonization and deferred maintenance. It revises the structure and responsibilities of the Authority overseeing capital projects, mandates annual reporting on capital expenditures, and requires detailed reporting on deferred maintenance projects exceeding $50 million. To finance these initiatives, the bill authorizes the state treasurer to issue bonds totaling up to $2.83 billion for public higher education capital expenditures and an additional $170 million for specific expenditures, while also repealing Section 255 of Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 7C-5