<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" citation="COMAR 14.27.03.04" title_num="14" subtitle_num="27" chapter_num="03" heading="Contract Authority.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Contract Approval.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Director shall approve contracts of the Service.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Director may delegate authority to approve a contract of the Service to a Service employee.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A contract is approved if:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The Director signs the contract or otherwise expresses the Director's approval of the contract in writing;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>An employee of the Service described in §A(2) of this regulation signs the contract or otherwise expresses that employee's approval in writing; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>The Board approves the contract as provided in §C of this regulation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>A Service employee who has not been delegated approval authority by the Director may not approve a contract. Except as provided in this regulation, a contract is not enforceable against the Service if the contract has not been approved by the Director or a Service employee who has been delegated approval authority by the Director.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Except as provided in Regulation .06D(1) of this chapter:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The procurement contracts of the Service shall be in writing; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>An oral contract purporting to bind the Service is not enforceable against the Service.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The Director shall report to the Board any contract awarded by the Service that is in an amount exceeding $25,000.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Procurement Approval.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>If the Service estimates that a procurement will result in the award of a contract that exceeds $200,000, the Service may obtain the approval of the Board for contract award before distributing a solicitation notice for the procurement.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Service shall obtain the approval of the Board before awarding a contract for more than $200,000 if the:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Procurement was not approved as provided in §C(1) of this regulation; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Amount of the contract award exceeds the Service's estimate of the procurement by an amount specified by the Board.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>