The Florida Senate

195.095  Approved bidder list; standard contracts.--

(1)  The executive director or his or her designee shall accept applications from all persons and firms that desire to contract with property appraisers, tax collectors, or county commissions for assessment or collection services or systems or for the sale of electronic data processing programs or equipment. No application shall be approved unless the assessment procedures on the electronic data processing programs fully meet the regulations of the department relating to uniformity of assessment. The regulations shall ensure that the person or firm has sufficient and modern equipment as well as the necessary technology to fulfill the type of contract on which the person or firm proposes to bid. The firm or person shall be approved to bid only on the type of contract for which it is qualified. Chapter 475 shall not apply to persons contracting under the provisions of this section. The executive director or his or her designee shall establish a list of approved bidders for such contracts based upon an evaluation of each person's or firm's ability to comply satisfactorily with such contracts and the person's or firm's past performance on similar contracts. Any person or firm that has not fully complied with the terms of a contract with a Florida property appraiser, tax collector, or county commission shall be removed from the approved list for future contracts until there is full compliance. No property appraiser, tax collector, or county commission may contract for assessment services or purchase of data processing programs or equipment for use by the property appraiser or tax collector unless the vendor is on the approved state bidder list.

(2)  The executive director or his or her designee shall promulgate a standard contract containing the minimum standards that must be included in all contracts entered into with approved bidders. All contracts shall contain a requirement that the contractor shall post a performance bond and that the bond shall remain in effect at least 1 year after the completion of the contract. All contractors and bonding companies shall disclose all sureties, endorsers, and guarantors of performance. Any provision of the standard contract may be deleted or added to only with written approval of the executive director or his or her designee. The executive director or his or her designee may waive, in writing, the application of this section to any contract for purchase of services or systems, upon written certification by the property appraiser, tax collector, or county commission that failure of such services or systems will not delay or otherwise impair the timely production of a lawful tax roll or the collection of tax. The executive director or his or her designee shall, at the minimum, promulgate standard contracts for mass data reappraisals and computer service programs and equipment.

History.--s. 7, ch. 73-172; s. 11, ch. 74-234; s. 1, ch. 77-102; s. 133, ch. 91-112; s. 988, ch. 95-147; s. 6, ch. 96-397.