Suits by and against department; limitation of actions; forum.

(1) Suits at law and in equity may be brought and maintained by and against the department on any contract claim arising from breach of an express provision or an implied covenant of a written agreement or a written directive issued by the department pursuant to the written agreement. In any such suit, the department and the contractor shall have all of the same rights and obligations as a private person under a like contract except that no liability may be based on an oral modification of either the written contract or written directive. Nothing herein shall be construed to waive the sovereign immunity of the state and its political subdivisions from equitable claims and equitable remedies. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this section, no employee or agent of the department may be held personally liable to an extent greater than that pursuant to s. 768.28 provided that no suit sounding in tort shall be maintained against the department.

(2) Suits by and against the department under this section shall be commenced within 820 days of the final acceptance of the work. This section shall apply to all contracts entered into after June 30, 1993.

(3) Any action or suit brought against the department shall be brought in the county or counties where the cause of action accrued, or in the county of the department’s district headquarters responsible for the work, or in Leon County.