Preferences

Preference statutes can prioritize local products and businesses, emphasize specific products such as those containing recycled content, reflect the status of the vendor as a minority group, or represent reciprocal preferences between states. While the use of preferences is generally scrutinized, every state and the District of Columbia has adopted at least one preference statute. Preference laws often take the form of in-state or local preferences, tie-bid preferences, status preferences, or reciprocal preferences.