337.162  Professional services.--Professional services provided to the department that fall below acceptable professional standards may result in transportation project delays, overruns, and reduced facility life. To minimize these effects and ensure that quality services are received, the Legislature hereby declares that licensed professionals shall be held accountable for the quality of the services they provide to the department.

(1)  If the department has knowledge or reason to believe that any person has violated the provisions of state professional licensing laws or rules, it shall submit a complaint about the violations to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The complaint submitted to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and maintained by the department is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1).

(2)  Any person who is employed by the department and who is licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and who, through the course of his or her employment, has knowledge or reason to believe that any person has violated the provisions of state professional licensing laws or rules shall submit a complaint about the violations to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Failure to submit a complaint about the violations may be grounds for disciplinary action pursuant to part I of chapter 455 and the state licensing law applicable to that licensee. The complaint submitted to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and maintained by the department is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1).

(3)  Any complaints submitted to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) pursuant to part I of chapter 455 and applicable state law.

(4)  In order to inform licensed professionals of the requirements of this section, the department shall include the requirements of this section in contracts with persons licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.