4. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 2 through 4 of P.L.1954, c.48 (C. 52:34-7 through 52:34-9), a contract or agreement with an agency for the procurement of professional architectural, engineering, or land surveying services shall be publicly advertised prior to the solicitation of proposals or expressions of interest from interested firms. To the extent consistent with the purposes and provisions of this section, the advertisement shall conform to the requirements applicable under subsections (a) and (b) of section 7 of P.L.1954, c.48 (C. 52:34-12) or may be publicly advertised through electronic means. The advertisement shall include a statement of the criteria by which the agency seeking to procure those professional services shall evaluate the technical qualifications of professional firms and determine the order of preference to be used in designating the firms most highly qualified to perform the services; this statement shall either set forth explicitly and in full the terms of those criteria or identify them by reference to the regulation or regulations in which those criteria shall have been promulgated as required by subsection c. of section 5 of this act. In addition, the advertisement shall include notice that professional firms wishing to be considered for selection as a potential provider of such services in connection with a proposed project must have submitted to the agency a current statement of qualifications and supporting data as prescribed in section 3 of this act.
L.1997,c.399,s.4.