Public works contracts; requirements to publish public notice of contract, further provided; liability for advertise of notice, further provided

SB 149 clarifies procedures for public works contracts over $100,000 requiring advertising. It specifies that if a newspaper or advertising service fails to publish a required notice (e.g., due to negligence), the government agency can still award the contract if it acted in good faith. Crucially, the bill removes criminal penalties (previously a Class C felony) for such advertising errors, instead allowing civil lawsuits for double the ad cost if the error voids a contract. This directly affects county/municipal governments issuing contracts and the advertising services they use. The bill maintains existing requirements for advertising in newspapers, websites, or via mail but streamlines liability for advertising failures.