(a) The commissioner shall adopt regulations governing the preparation, revision, and content of specifications for supplies, services, professional services, and construction required by an agency. The commissioner shall monitor the use of these specifications.
(b) Specifications for construction of highways must conform as closely as practicable to those adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
(c) The commissioner may obtain expert advice and assistance from personnel of using agencies in the development of specifications. Specifications must promote overall economy for the purposes intended and encourage competition in satisfying the state's needs, and may not be unduly restrictive. The requirements of this subsection regarding the purposes and nonrestrictiveness of specifications apply to all specifications, including those prepared by architects, engineers, designers, and other professionals.
(d) In this section, “specification” means a description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature of a supply, service, professional service, or construction project; it may include requirements for licensing, inspecting, testing, and delivery.