Government Digest: June 4 - June 10

Prompt payment bill signed
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist has signed the Local Government Prompt Payment Act requiring local government to pay contractors promptly for goods and services. The law allows contractors to send local governments an overdue notice, places time limits on responses by local governments, requires a single punch list, limits the conditions for local governments to retain payments for incomplete or unsatisfactory work, revises the dispute resolution process and requires contractors to receive interest payments when local governments are unable to meet required payment timelines. The bill responds to contractors' complaints that with the recession local governments were delaying payments. The law goes into effect Oct. 1.