A U.S. House-approved $585-billion Dept. of Defense authorization bill includes design-build provisions that will benefit contractors and architects who seek DOD projects, including a cap on the number of short-listed firms and a ban on "reverse auctions."

The bill, which the House passed on Dec. 4 by a bipartisan 300-119 vote, is expected to clear the Senate before the lame-duck session ends. The House had approved a different version of the measure in May but the Senate never acted on it.