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<section article="gsf" article_name="State Finance and Procurement" number="14-106" title_number="14" title_name="Preferences" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Preferences to Benefit Disadvantaged Individuals">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “Committee” means the Pricing and Selection Committee for Preferred Providers.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>There is a Pricing and Selection Committee for Preferred Providers.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Committee consists of the following 6 members:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the Secretary of Transportation or a designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the Chief Procurement Officer or a designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services or a designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the Assistant Secretary for Vocational Rehabilitation within the State Department of Education or a designee;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the Secretary of Labor or a designee; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>the Special Secretary for the Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs or a designee.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A member of the Committee:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>may not receive compensation; but</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations as provided in the State budget.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Blind Industries and Services of Maryland shall provide staff for the Committee.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The staff provided in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>be a blind or a visually impaired associate of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>complete work related to the duties of the Committee regarding Blind Industries and Services of Maryland under the supervision and direction of the Committee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Committee shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>ensure that supplies and services provided by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or an Employment Works Program community service provider create work opportunities for individuals who have a mental or physical disability, including blindness, for which Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or the Employment Works Program community service provider was established to assist;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>set the prices of supplies and services that Blind Industries and Services of Maryland provides to reflect the fair market prices for the supplies and services;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>review and verify the prevailing average market prices, as proposed by Maryland Correctional Enterprises:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>when changes are made to the pricing of existing supplies and services that are available from Maryland Correctional Enterprises; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for new supplies or services that Maryland Correctional Enterprises intends to make available;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>establish procedures to govern procurement of supplies, services, and other sales from Employment Works Program community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>from the State procurement list, choose appropriate supplies, services, and other sales for Employment Works Program community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses to offer for procurement;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>provide that the State procure those supplies, services, and other sales from an Employment Works Program community service provider or an individual with disability owned business;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>if supplies, services, or other sales are not available for procurement from a unit of the State government, determine whether supplies, services, or other sales are available from an Employment Works Program community service provider or an individual with disability owned business;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>determine the fair market price of supplies, services, and other sales that Employment Works Program community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses provide;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="9">
      <text>in accordance with market conditions, adjust prices for the supplies, services, and other sales that Employment Works Program community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses provide;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="10">
      <text>at the request of a community service provider or an individual with disability owned business, review and, if appropriate, change the price of a supply or service; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="11">
      <text>review a request submitted from and may grant a waiver to the State or a State–aided or controlled entity in accordance with § 14–103(d)(1) of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>In addition to the duties specified under subsection (f) of this section, the Committee shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>establish and periodically review eligibility policies or guidelines for participating community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>maintain a current list of community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>periodically review and revise its list of community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>send any revised list to the Chief Procurement Officer who shall make the list available to each person responsible for buying supplies or services for the State or a State aided or controlled entity.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
