Florida Statutes § 255.04 — Preference to home industries in building public buildings.
AI-assisted research summary: Public boards must prefer in-state suppliers and workers for public building projects when cost is no greater, and they cannot require sole-source materials unless stated conditions are met.
255.04 Preference to home industries in building public buildings.—Every official board in the state, whether of the state, a county, or a municipality, which may be charged with the duty of erecting or constructing any public administrative or institutional building shall give preference, in the purchase of material and in letting contracts for the construction of such building, to materialmen, contractors, builders, architects, and laborers who reside within the state, whenever such material can be purchased or the services of such materialmen, contractors, builders, architects, and laborers can be employed at no greater expense than that which would obtain if such purchase was made from, or contract let or employment given to, a person residing beyond the limits of the state. However, this section in no way prohibits the right of any such official board to compare the quality of materials proposed for purchase and to compare the qualifications, character, responsibility, and fitness of materialmen, contractors, builders, and architects proposed for employment in its consideration of the purchase of materials or employment of persons. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no county official, board of county commissioners, school board, city council or city council members, or other public official, state board, or state agency charged with the letting of contracts or purchase of materials for the construction, modification, alteration, or repair of any publicly owned facility may specify the use of materials or systems by a sole source, unless:(1) The governmental body, after consideration of all available alternative materials and systems, determines that the specification of a sole material or system is justifiable based upon its cost or interchangeability; (2) The sole source specification has been recommended by the architect or engineer of record; and (3) The consideration by, and the justifications of, the governmental body are documented, in writing, in the project file.