(a) Any person, firm or corporation which has entered into a contract with the state, acting through any of its departments, commissions or other agencies, for the design, construction, construction management, repair or alteration of any highway, bridge, building or other public works of the state or any political subdivision of the state may, in the event of any disputed claims under such contract or claims arising out of the awarding of a contract by the Commissioner of Administrative Services, bring an action against the state to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford for the purpose of having such claims determined, provided notice of each such claim under such contract and the factual bases for each such claim shall have been given in writing to the agency head of the department administering the contract within the period which commences with the execution of the contract or the authorized commencement of work on the contract project, whichever is earlier, and which ends two years after the acceptance of the work by the agency head evidenced by a certificate of acceptance issued to the contractor or two years after the termination of the contract, whichever is earlier. No action on a claim under such contract shall be brought except within the period which commences with the execution of the contract or the authorized commencement of work on the contract project, whichever is earlier, and which ends three years after the acceptance of the work by the agency head of the department administering the contract evidenced by a certificate of acceptance issued to the contractor or three years after the termination of the contract, whichever is earlier. Issuance of such certificate of acceptance shall not be a condition precedent to the commencement of any action. Acceptance of an amount offered as final payment shall not preclude any person, firm or corporation from bringing a claim under this section. Such action shall be tried to the court without a jury. All legal defenses except governmental immunity shall be reserved to the state. In no event shall interest be awarded under § 13a-96 and § 37-3a by a court or an arbitrator to the claimant for the same debt for the same period of time. Interest under § 37-3a shall not begin to accrue to a claimant under this section until at least thirty days after the claimant submits a bill or claim to the agency for the unpaid debt upon which such interest is to be based, along with appropriate documentation of the debt when applicable. Any action brought under this subsection shall be privileged in respect to assignment for trial upon motion of either party.

(b) As an alternative to the procedure provided in subsection (a) of this section, any such person, firm or corporation having a claim under said subsection (a) may submit a demand for arbitration of such claim or claims for determination under (1) the rules of any dispute resolution entity, approved by such person, firm or corporation and the agency head and (2) the provisions of subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of this section, except that if the parties cannot agree upon a dispute resolution entity, the rules of the American Arbitration Association and the provisions of said subsections shall apply. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to claims under a contract unless notice of each such claim and the factual bases of each claim has been given in writing to the agency head of the department administering the contract within the time period which commences with the execution of the contract or the authorized commencement of work on the contract project, whichever is earlier, and which ends two years after the acceptance of the work by the agency head evidenced by a certificate of acceptance issued to the contractor or two years after the termination of the contract, whichever is earlier. A demand for arbitration of any such claim shall include the amount of damages and the alleged facts and contractual or statutory provisions which form the basis of the claim. No action on a claim under such contract shall be brought under this subsection except within the period which commences with the execution of the contract or the authorized commencement of work on the contract project, whichever is earlier, and which ends three years after the acceptance of the work by the agency head of the department administering the contract evidenced by a certificate of acceptance issued to the contractor or three years after the termination of the contract, whichever is earlier. Issuance of such certificate of acceptance shall not be a condition precedent to the commencement of any action.

(c) Once a notice of claim is given to the agency head as required by subsection (b) of this section, each party shall allow the other to examine and copy any nonprivileged documents which may be relevant either to the claimant’s claims or to the state’s defenses to such claims. Requests to examine and copy documents which have been prepared by the contractor in order to submit a bid shall be subject to a claim of privilege and grounds for an application to any court or judge pursuant to § 52-415 for a decision on whether such documents constitute trade secrets or other confidential research, development or commercial information and whether such documents shall not be disclosed to the state or shall be disclosed to the state only in a designated way. Any such documents for which no decision is sought or privilege obtained shall not be subject to disclosure under § 1-210 and shall not be disclosed by the agency to any person or agency that is not a party to the arbitration. Such documents shall be used only for settlement or litigation of the parties’ claims. The arbitrators shall determine any issue of relevance of such documents after an in camera inspection. The arbitrators shall seal such documents during arbitration and shall return such documents to the claimant after final disposition of the claim.

(d) Hearings shall be scheduled for arbitration in a manner that shall ensure that each party shall have reasonable time and opportunity to prepare and present its case, taking into consideration the size and complexity of the claims presented. Unless the parties agree otherwise, no evidentiary hearing on the merits of the claim may be held less than six months after the demand for arbitration is filed with the dispute resolution entity.

(e) The arbitrators shall conduct the hearing and shall hear evidence as to the facts, and arguments as to the interpretation and application of contractual provisions. After the hearing, the arbitrators shall issue in writing: (1) Findings of fact, (2) a decision in which the arbitrators interpret the contract and apply it to the facts found and (3) an award. The arbitrators’ findings of fact and decision shall be final and conclusive and not subject to review by any forum, tribunal, court or government agency, for errors of fact or law. Awards shall be final and binding and subject to confirmation, modification or vacation pursuant to chapter 909.

(f) Claims brought pursuant to this section may be submitted for mediation under the mediation rules of such dispute resolution entity as the parties may agree upon.

(g) This section shall apply to claims brought on or after July 1, 1991. The provisions of sections 4-61, 4b-97, 13b-57a, 13b-57b and 13b-57c of the general statutes, revised to January 1, 1991, shall apply to claims brought before July 1, 1991.