Any contractor dissatisfied with the Director of the Bureau of General Services’ decision under section 1747 may appeal the decision to the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services within 5 calendar days of the receipt of notice from the director that the contractor has been excluded from receiving plans and specifications or the director has refused to accept the contractor’s bid. The appeal process must be conducted at the discretion of the commissioner, but must be completed and a final decision rendered within 5 calendar days after the contractor’s written notice of appeal unless extended by the commissioner. The decision of the commissioner is final and binding. Any contractor who requests a hearing under this section must be allowed to receive plans and specifications for a particular duly advertised public improvement and bid on that improvement. The bid of any contractor submitted under this section may be disallowed upon final decision of the commissioner. [PL 1991, c. 780, Pt. Y, §60 (AMD).]

If, in the construction of any public work, including buildings, highways, bridges, dams and drainage structures that the State does by contract, there arises a dispute between the State and the contractor that can not be settled, this dispute must be submitted, at the discretion of the Director of the Bureau of General Services, to alternative dispute resolution or to binding arbitration. Either the State or the contractor may, if unsatisfied by the alternative dispute resolution process, submit the dispute to binding arbitration. [PL 1993, c. 49, §1 (AMD).]

Nothing in this section may apply to the construction, improvement or repair of any and all ways, roads and bridges with appurtenances or other public improvements which, by law, are under the supervision of the Department of Transportation. [PL 1989, c. 165, §1 (AMD).]