Little Miller Act
State-level equivalents of the federal [[concept-miller-act|Miller Act]], requiring payment and performance bonds on state and local public construction projects, with bonding thresholds and claim procedures that vary by state rather than following one uniform federal standard.
Why it matters
Because each state's version sets its own notice deadlines and procedures, a bond claim process that works one way on a federal project can work completely differently on a state project just one jurisdiction over.
On a real project
A subcontractor on a state highway project files a payment bond claim under that state's Little Miller Act, following a notice deadline and claim procedure specific to that state, not the federal Miller Act's rules.
Who this matters most to
A Surety Bond Underwriter has to track each state's specific Little Miller Act requirements, since the bonding threshold and claim procedure aren't standardized the way the federal Miller Act's are.
Where this goes wrong
A subcontractor assumes their state's Little Miller Act bond claim procedure works identically to the federal Miller Act's, misses a state-specific notice deadline that's actually shorter than the federal one, and forfeits the claim.