Transportation, Dept. of - As enacted, in the event of a transportation system failure or other emergency, grants the commissioner emergency contracting authority to enter into contracts for design-build, construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), and progressive design-build (PDB) services for the delivery of transportation projects; exempts the department from having to identify such contracts exceeding $100 million in its transportation improvement program submitted annually to the general assembly in support of its annual funding recommendations, if they are issued under such emergency contracting authority; makes other revisions to the CM/GC and PDB process. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 12 and Title 54.

HB 1320 grants Tennessee's Department of Transportation commissioner emergency authority to bypass standard procurement rules during transportation system failures or crises. The commissioner can immediately contract for design-build, construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), or progressive design-build (PDB) services without following typical bidding processes. It exempts emergency contracts over $100 million from needing inclusion in the annual transportation improvement plan submitted to the legislature, though the department must notify specific legislative committees and file documentation within 30 days. The bill also updates proposal evaluation procedures to streamline emergency contracting while maintaining oversight requirements.